Between Onyx and Silver
by Halfbreed741
Summary: Sakura sees that waiting for Sasuke won't help anyone.One day after seeing Naruto and the rest come back from a mission,they bring home a long lost commrade.Neji doesn't like this one bit,and Sai feels left out...NejiSakuSasu
1. Arrival!

**Between Onyx and Silver**

**AN:** I do not own Naruto!

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**Chapter 1 – **Arrival!

It was a fine day in Kohana. The sun was out, clouds of various shapes appeared in the brilliant blue skies. Sakura was just walking down the streets with Ino looking through shops, and admiring the merchandise. They had a day off from going on five straight missions that consisted of at least four days each. In other words, if they didn't get a brake soon, they'll crack.

"God I needed this!" Ino exclaimed while raising her fist in the air.

"Yeah, I know what you mean." Sakura stated while taking in the rich smells that came from the restaurants around them.

"Hey, you want to go get some ramen?" Sakura asked her blond friend.

"Sure. We might even find Hinata and Naruto there." _"Man, I didn't see Naruto for a while now. How long has it been? Two three weeks? I hope he didn't get himself hurt on the mission he was assigned to."_ Sakura got her mind off of Sasuke after the second attempt to get him back. Well, no not really, but she's more successful in losing that train of thought now. They failed to convince him, even with Sai's and Yamato's (sry 4 the spelling…) help. Since then she concentrated on her other friends, that's when she decided to play matchmaker with Naruto and Hinata. She brought them together, which was pretty easy, since they already liked each other. _"It's nice to seeing that baka happy, and Hinata too. They're so perfect for each other! God, I'm a genius." _Sakura thought while heading over to the ramen shack with Ino.

At the ramen shack the two girls were surprised to see their friend Hinata alone. She seemed sad and lonely, all by herself with a bowl of soggy ramen in front of her.

"Hinata!" Both Sakura and Ino exclaimed while sitting next to their depressed friend.

"Oh hi Sakura-chan, Ino-chan." Hinata said, giving a small smile.

"What's wrong Hinata?" Sakura asked.

"N-nothing Sakura-chan, why?"

"Don't lie to us. We know something's up." Ino said with a stern look.

Hinata paused for a moment and then let out a sigh in defeat. "I-I just miss Naruto-kun." She mumbled, while staring at the old ramen. Sakura and Ino couldn't help feeling sorry for the girl.

"Don't worry Hinata, we all miss that baka too, but you know him with his missions. Plus I bet anything that if he knew you were sulking like this, he'd go nuts!" Sakura said, trying to help her friend. Hinata smiled at this.

"Yeah, you're right. Thank you Sakura-chan." Hinata said as she paid for her ramen.

"Yeah, that's it girl!" Ino exclaimed as the three left the shack.

"Oh, Hinata! Do you know what time it is?" Ino asked out of the blue.

"Ummm, it's a quarter past five, why?"

"What! Aww shit! I promised Choji and Asuma that I would meet them at five sharp! See you later guys, and cheer up Hinata!" Ino yelled as she ran to some place unknown to the two friends. Hinata and Sakura both sweat dropped.

"Being late for training is something I'd expect Shikamaru or Kakashi." Sakura said.

They both shared laughs as they went to Hinata's house. They spent the rest of the afternoon sparring. It was a little dark outside, and the two then just started to talk about their day. After a while, Hinata asked Sakura if she wanted to stay for the night. Since Sakura's parents weren't ever at home anymore, she said yes and a quick thanks as she left to her house to get her stuff. While walking home the old fashion way, she decided to take a short cut through the woods. Since she would train with Hinata, Neji, and Naruto at the Hyuuga mansion a lot, she took the liberty in finding a short cut to her house, which unfortunately was almost across town. While walking through the woods she sensed a very low chakra signature. _"What the hell?"_ Sakura thought as she took out a kunai and stealthily made her way toward the weak chakra.

She stayed low to the ground and hid behind bushes and trees until she was within attacking distance. She was currently behind a shrub, and was ready to attack. She was about to lunge at the intruder, but two kunais came zooming straight at her. She quickly dodged the attack as she noticed the figure was armed with a kunai as well. She couldn't tell who the person was because they were both surrounded in darkness, as the moonlight was block by passing clouds. The two lunged at each other, both kunai let out a 'clang' as they clashed against each other. Sakura put some chakra into her left heel as she stomped the ground, crating a small crater, which made a good distraction from her right fist as she imbedded it into the dark figure's gut. The figure let out a gasp as he was flung onto a nearby tree. Seeing his slow movements in trying to get up, Sakura could only guess that her opponent was either extremely tired or freakishly weak.

But what she didn't expect after her speculation was when the enemy was right behind her! _"What the fu-"_, but before she could finish that thought, she felt sharp pressures on both her shoulders and back. Then she was hit by a forceful blow to the back, which sent her flying ten feet away. As she landed on her side, she quickly composed herself as she faced the figure, wiping blood off from the corner of her mouth with the back of her right hand. Panting slightly the figure charged straight for her. She was about to punch the ground with a chakra-powered blow, but found that the chakra reserves in her arms were blocked. _"What! Aww come on!"_ She thought as she could only use simple tai-jutsu with leg attacks. When the figure was close enough, she swung her leg straight at him, only hit a clone, which disappeared in a cloud of smoke. _"Where is-",_ but found herself being grabbed with one strong arm around her while the other held a kunai to her neck.

"Give up, or die." Came a husky yet familiar voice.

"….Hell no!" Sakura exclaimed as she thrust her head back with great impact.

The kunai gave a small cut to her neck, but she didn't have time to heal or care about it as the enemy pinned her to the ground. She was exhausted from the sparring she did with Hinata, and from the match she had right now. _"Great…Well I'm screwed."_ She thought as she tried to knock the guy off of her. She felt wet drops of blood fall onto her cheeks. She guessed that she broke the guy's nose. She could tell that the guy was barely a few inches away from her face as she felt the heavy breaths of her opponent fall upon her face. She was trying hard not to panic. It was then that she noticed the clouds were moving away. Slowly, but gradually the clouds were dispersing, revealing the unknown shinobi on top of her.

As light showered over the two, Sakura came into full view of her opponent.

"Neji!" She pretty much yelled.

"Why did you attack me?" He asked, still panting.

"Umm…..Can you get off me first?" She asked, while feeling blood rush to her cheeks.

Embarrassed, Neji quickly got of her and sat down next to her.

"So….Why are you here? Did you, Naruto, and the rest come back from the mission from sound? Was it successful?" She asked.

"First answer my question. Then I'll answer yours."

"Oh, ummm. Usually no one comes here at night, and plus you threw two freaken kunais at me. I thought the great Hyuuga clan could differentiate chakra patterns." She said.

"I'm tired, and now injured."

"Oh, sorry…Where's Naruto and the rest?"

"In the hospital." Sakura sweat dropped.

"Why didn't you go there too? You look beat up."

"You're a hell lot better nurse than the others." Sakura blushed at the comment. _"Thank god it's night."_ Sakura thought, hoping Neji didn't see her blush.

"Sakura." Neji used a serious tone. She was confused, why so strict? "While we were at sound, we picked up something that got everyone except me and Sai in the hospital…"

"What?" Sakura said in surprise. "What could have sent Naruto to the hospital and beat you up like this?"

With a sigh he said, "Uchiha Sasuke."

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**Next Chapter**: "Naruto…Is it true?"…"Sai. Whatever's wrong Sakura-chan and I will understand."…"What's wrong with you Hyuuga?"

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**AN**: Cool, now who do you think I should pair up? Neji and Sakura or Sasuke and Saskura? Help me! I can't decide!


	2. Seeing Him!

**Between Onyx and Silver**

**AN:** I do not own Naruto!

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**Previously:** "Sakura." Neji used a serious tone. She was confused, why so strict? "While we were at sound, we picked up something that got everyone except me and Sai in the hospital…"

"What?" Sakura said in surprise. _"What could have sent Naruto to the hospital and beat you up like this?"_

With a sigh he said, "Uchiha Sasuke."

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**Chapter 2 –**Seeing him…

"SAY WHAT!" Sakura exclaimed and then she fainted.

Neji sweat dropped. "Sakura….Sakura!" He shook her by the shoulders trying to wake her up, but he got no response from her. From a far off distance Sai heard someone yelling Sakura's name. _"What the heck?"_ He thought as he rushed toward the voice. When he got there, he saw a beat up Neji shaking an unconscious Sakura. "What the fuck is going on here?" Sai said while walking toward the two.

"Sai?" Neji said as he saw the nin appear from the trees. Sai was staring at Sakura with a strange look on his face.

"She fainted…." Neji answered, when he saw the look he was giving.

"Why?"

"I told her about Uchiha."

"Dumbass…So I suppose that would explain the broken nose." Sai said as the two helped the poor kunoichi up. Then the two set off to her house.

Finally entering the small apartment, by breaking the window, which caused some unneeded comments from some neighbors, they set the knocked out kunoichi onto her bed.

"So what are you doing here Sai?" Neji questioned.

"Well, every Friday night's our team's hangout day. Naruto wanted to come, but Tsunade forbid it. She wouldn't even let him go to Ichiraku's for ramen." Sai simply stated. After a small pause. "So….Why the hell did you and Sakura fight? Didn't call her ugly or anything did you?"

"Hmph, she thought I was the enemy." Neji replied.

Sai just smiled. "At least we know she's been doing ok for the past couple of weeks without us." Sai said.

"Shut up Sai."

Back in the Kohana Hospital.

"BAA-CHAN!" Naruto yelled from his room. Everyone within the hospital could hear him. He was with Shikamaru and Lee, but unlike them, he was strapped to his bed. "I'm ok! I wanna go see Sakura-chan and Hinata-chan! I need to tell her that the teme's back, plus Sakura-chan can heal me a hell lot faster!…At least let me eat some ramen!"

"Ah, shut the hell up Naruto. You're giving me a damn headache. How are Tenten, and the rest supposed to rest with all that goddamned noise? How troublesome." Shikamaru stated rubbing his temple.

"What are you talking about? Even after everything he's been through, he still has the energy of youth within him! How I admire him!" Lee exclaimed with fire in his eyes and a very creepy ocean background behind him. Naruto finally shut up as both he and Shikamaru stared at their green spandex wearing comrade, while sweat dropping. Right then Kakashi entered the room with a couple of bandages around his chest and arms. "Yo." He simply stated as he sat down on a spare hospital bed next to the window.

"Kakashi-sensei, they won't believe me when I say I'm just fine." Naruto whined.

"Well, the fact of the matter is Naruto, that you're not." Kakashi said as he pulled out his Icha Icha Paradise book.

Naruto just grumbled incoherent things, unheard to the other three in the room.

"So, I suppose we could just leave her here." Sai said to Neji.

"I'm not sure. I need to check up on Hinata-san first though." Neji said.

"Well, then I'll just stay here with Sakura till you come back." Sai said as he sat down leaning against the bed, while taking out his sketchpad and paintbrush.

"You're staying here, with her, alone?" Neji said.

"Yeah why? You have a problem or something?"

"No." Neji replied as he disappeared in a cloud of smoke.

_"Weird guy."_ Sai thought as he continued to draw on his sketchpad.

In the Hyuuga mansion, Hinata noticed that Sakura was taking a while. She was starting to worry that her friend might be in trouble or be the one causing it. With her temper, Hinata knew the consequences of those who pissed her off through Naruto's telling of personal experiences. She started to pace around the outside of the mansion. _"What could of happe-"_. Before she could finish her last thought Neji appeared right in front of her.

"Neji-kun! When did you get back?….That means! Where's Naruto-kun! Ah, what happened to your nose?" Hinata said in a louder tone than her usual.

Neji placed his hands on each of her shoulders to calm her down.

"Hinata-san! Take a breath." Neji advised as Hinata started to inhale and exhale. "Naruto and the others are in the emergency room in the hospital. Oh, and Sakura's unconscious in her house now, alone with Sai." Neji explained quickly. Hinata gasped and then fainted. "Hinata-san!" Neji sweat dropped. _"Not again"_ he inwardly groaned. _"How come nothing like this happens when Sai opens his big mouth?"_

Then all of a sudden a cloud of smoke appeared right next to him. _"What the hell?"_ He thought as he saw Sai carrying Sakura bridal style, along with a backpack around his right shoulder. "Why did you bring her here!" Neji practically yelled.

Sai just stared at Hinata with a questioning look on his face. "Another one Hyuuga?"

"Just answer my question damnit!" Neji demanded a little frustrated.

"Her parents came home, and what would they say when they see me there with an unconscious beat up Sakura? So I got some of her stuff in the pack and brought her here. Plus there's a cut on her neck that was still bleeding a little, which got some blood on her sheets. What the hell do you think her parents will think happened?" Sai said as he pointed at the now bandaged cut.

Neji just sighed as he gestured Sai to come in. Inside, they both placed the two unconscious kunoichies on the bed in the guest room across Neji's room.

"Ok, Naruto. Shizune says that you only have to stay here for tonight. You can leave in the morning." Kakashi said.

Naruto just stayed quiet with a pissed off expression.

"Hey, at least you're not in here for a week like the others." Kakashi said plainly.

Naruto just 'hmphed' that Kakashi knew meant 'whatever.' He smiled under his mask as he left the room, leaving it to the three again.

"So, what happened to Sasuke?" Naruto asked all of a sudden.

"Being trailed by Hokage-sama." Shikamaru told him.

"Is he going to be executed?"

"Most likely, but there's always that chance." Shikamaru answered.

"Lets just hope he doesn't do anything stupid." Lee said

"That teme's probably getting himself killed now." Naruto said smiling, but then turned into a frown when he thought about Sakura. How would she take it? Did she get over him like a lot of their friends suggested? How can I tell her that the bastard's back? Questions were fluttering though his head that he didn't need right now. Then Shikamaru stood up and said he had to go somewhere. Lee left the room shortly after the lazy nin, after saying that he wanted to see Tenten. Naruto just laid there, not caring if the straps to his bed were a bit uncomfortable. He started to drift off to sleep. Right before he blacked out he thought, _"What the hell are you going to do now teme, if baa-chan doesn't kill you?"_

Early that morning Sakura woke up to find Hinata sleeping peacefully next to her. _"What the? When did I come-"_ but then someone opened the door and, Neji stepped into the room distracting her train of thought. "Neji?" Sakura said, waking Hinata up. Hinata woke up looking around the room rubbing her eyes tiredly.

"Sakura-san? Neji-kun?" Hainata blurted out. She took another look of her surroundings. "What happened?"

"You two both fainted. Sai and I both took you here last night. Sakura, Sai got some stuff packed in the bag over there in the corner.

She looked over to the corner and saw some of her things along with her ninja gear to the side. She got out of bed and walked over to them, but then stopped when something hit her. "Where's everybody? Where's Sasuke-kun!" She yelled out.

Hinata was confused, but then let the words sink in. She also rememberedthethings Neji told her the night before. "Naruto-kun!" Hinata said while getting off the bed. She made a mad dash toward the door and left for the hospital. To both Neji and Sakura, all they saw was a blurry figure of Hinata running out the door causing a small gust of wind. _"When the heck did she get that kind of speed,"_ Neji thought.

"I have to got to." Sakura said, but before she could run at full speed out the door like Hinata, Neji grabbed her wrist. "Neji?"

"I can transport you there. It's a hell lot faster." Neji said. Sakura gave a quick 'thanks' before the two disappeared in a cloud of smoke.

At Kohana Hospital, naruto just woke up and happy to find that he would be released in a matter of hours. Just then he heard knocking on the door. "Come in", Naruto yelled out.

Tsunade entered the room. "Everyone is in a stable condition and-" She began.

"Just tell me what you're going to do baa-chan!" Naruto whined.

Tsunade got pissed from his tone of voice, but decided to ignore if because he always did that. She cleared her throat and said, "He will not be executed, but kept under close surveillance."

"By who?"

"Well, even if I think it's a stupid thing to do,…. I hoped.. that… team 7 would watch him."

"Baa-chan! I can't believe you would do this! I love you!" Naruto exclaimed. The chakra straps couldn't hold him any longer as he broke them and started to hug the shocked Tsunade. She got back to her senses and smacked Naruto on the head.

"Ahh! Ow! That hurt!"

"Now Naruto, don't think I'm doing this as a favor or anything. I just think that his strength would be a good asset to Kohana. I don't want anyone to get the wrong idea that I'm going soft."

"Thanks baa-chan!" Naruto exclaimed as Tsunade walked out of the room. _"I need some sake." _Tsunade thought as she closed the door.

Naruto started to bounce around, but stopped when a cloud of smoke appeared in the room. "What the hell?" Naruto thought as he saw Neji and Sakura appear before him.

"Sakura-chan!" Naruto exclaimed as he embraced his friend in a tight hug. "It's been so long!"

"Naruto, I think she can't breath." Neji said.

"Oh! Sorry Sakura-chan." Naruto released the kunoichi and scratched the back of his head sheepishly.

"Hey Naruto!" Sakura said with a smile. Then she turned to Neji. "Ummm, is it ok if we can talk alone?" She asked.

"No problem. I'll try and keep Hinata at bay if you guys need more time to discuss things." Neji said as he exited the room. _"Hinata-chan!"_ Naruto thought, but then concentrated at the situation at hand when he saw Sakura's smile become a frown.

"Sak-"

"Naruto…Is it true?" Sakura asked cutting him off.

"What's true?" He had an idea of what she was talking about, but asked to make sure.

"Is it true that Sasuke came back?" She said barely a whisper. She started to look down, but stopped herself and looked straight at Naruto in the eye for an answer. He just nodded in reply. Sakura swallowed hard, and then, out of nowhere, she held Naruto in a tight embrace.

"T-thank you N-naruto, for keeping your promise. Thank you for bringing our Sasuke-kun back." She said as her voice started to crack, with small light tears rolling down her cheeks. Naruto hugged her back. When the finally released each other, Sakura wiped her tears away in embarrassment. After she pulled herself together, Naruto told her everything about the mission and what Tsunade said. Neji stood outside the door, now with Hinata, with his byakugen activated, seeing when was a good time to go in. What Hinata couldn't understand was when all of a sudden Neji started to frown and get pissed off from something. _"Did Naruto-kun make fun of him again?"_ Hinata wondered at her cousin's sudden mood change.

"_So she still likes Uchiha huh?"_ Neji thought as he found that it was time to let Hinata greet Naruto. When the two Hyuugas came in, Hinata rushed into Naruto's already opened arms. With a chaste kiss on the lips, which Neji scowled at, Hinata and Naruto talked about some things that Neji lost interest in. Right now he was concentrated at the now silent Sakura sitting on the edge of Naruto's bed.

There was a knock on the door. Neji went to go answer it, and foud that it was Sai.

"Hey teme!" Naruto said while waving.

"Hi Sai." Hinata said shyly. She still wasn't that used to him yet.

"Hn." Neji said.

"Hey Sai." Sakura greeted.

Sai came in and sat on the bed with Sakura. Neji just leaned on the wall, closing his eyes.

"Oh, hey Naruto. Tsunade told me to tell you that you can leave now." Sai said.

Naruto leaped three feet in the air yelling 'Yahoo!' before he hit the ceiling and fell flat on his face. Everyone sweat dropped.

_"Dobe…"_ Everyone thought.

"Hey! Anyone wants to go to Ichiraku and eat ramen!" Naruto exclaimed, already running down the halls. Hinata yelled a quick 'wait' as the rest followed the hyperactive teen to the ramen shack. Neji found it almost pointless to run after the blond so he just walked toward his destination with Sakura.

"So, you ok?" Neji asked. Obviously about the whole Sasuke issue.

"Yeah I'm fine. It's just….I at least want to see him. You know?" She asked.

"Hn."

Sakura just sighed as they walked down the streets. Waving hi here and there to grateful shinobi who were saved by Sakura's medical justu in the past. Neji wanted to break the silence as well as ask some questions. He didn't want to be intrusive, but he was curious, and that didn't happen much often. After a few more tense moments of silence he decided to ask anything that almost popped into his head.

"Are you and Sai seeing each other, or is he just really _friendly_?" Sakura was a little taken-back with the random ass question. Even Neji confused himself. _"Where the heck did that one come from?"_, but because he kept his silence afterwards, he found that this was a question that he wanted to be answered to clear the fog in his head.

"Of course not! Heck no! He's like…." Sakura cupped her chin with her hand as she thought of an appropriate answer. As Neji watched her, he thought, _"When she does that while thinking, she looks kind of cuuuuuu- wait a minute! What the hell am I thinking!" _Neji started to shake his head hoping to clear all the shit that was in it. He then saw Sakura staring at him in a weird way.

"What's wrong with you?" She asked.

"Uhhmm. Just felt a little light headed that's all." Neji replied, but that didn't stop the medic nin to stop and look at him with a stare that he read as Just-tell-me-the-goddamn-truth-or-I'll-see-you-in-the-hospital look. After a moment of nothing she came closer to him and placed her right hand next to his forehead,(Because of forehead protector), while she placed her left hand on hers. With such close contact, other than in battle, Neji felt a little uncomfortable. He tried his best to keep the heat rising to his cheeks, but was a futile effort in the trained medic nin's eyes.

"Neji, are you sure you're ok? You're a little red." She said as she moved her hand away. Neji started to breath easier.

"Just answer my question Sakura." He said, trying to change the subject.

"Well, he's like Naruto. Another close friend. Close enough to be like my own brother." She replied as she somewhat stared off into the distance.

"What about Uchiha?" Neji asked silently.

"I-I'm…..Not sure about him. He was my teammate, and I even told him I love him when we were genin once." This hurt Neji a little, and he didn't know why. "But, like you know, he just left. Left everything just for the sake of killing his own damn brother." She then turned to look straight into Neji's blank clear eyes. "So I guess what I can say for him is that, I'm just glad he's home I guess."

"He might just leave again. He will hurt you again."

"Yeah, but I'll make sure he doesn't ever abandon us. Plus we have great support from Naruto, Sai, Yamato, and so I guess now you."

"Wha-When did I say I would do anything for that trai-"

Sakura just placed her index finger on his lips. He immediately shut up, and felt himself blushing. _"God dammit!"_ He thought. She moved her finger away from his mouth and smiled while heading toward the ramen shack again. Neji just stood there for a second or two more before following the rosette kunoichi. _"Damn it! How does she do that!"_

At the ramen shack, Naruto already ate two helpings of ramen, and didn't show any signs of getting full. Hinata was happy to see her Naruto-kun back, but Sai was looking depressed. Naruto noticed this and decided to ask what the hell was wrong with him.

"Why the heck are you so depressed?"

"Nothing…"

"Sai. Whatever's wrong Sakura-chan and I will understand."

With a sigh of defeat he replied, "With Sasuke back in the team. There would be no place for me anymore on the three-man squadron. (Not including Kakashi. They're no longer his subordinates, right?) Tsunade will let me go back to being solo." Naruto gulped down the remaining ramen in his mouth down his throat before putting on a serious face.

"What the hell are you talking about Sai? Tsunade wouldn't do that. Plus, you're our friend Sai. Nothing can replace that. Bonds are impossible to break." Naruto started to eat his ramen again.

"Sai, Naruto's right. You can't break strong bonds, especially with Naruto-kun and Sakura-chan….If you even tried, they'll probably send you to the hospital." Hinata said and smiled.

Sai just gave one of his smiles in return. Then Naruto patted him on the back while grinning with a mouth full of ramen. Neji and Sakura finally made it to the ramen shack.

"Hey you guys!" Sakura said as she sat down next to Sai. Sai, and Hinata said a hi back, while Naruto yelled out his usual 'Sakura-chan', along with "What took you both so long? I'm already on my third bowl of ramen!"

"Gomen, I was just talking with Neji." Sakura apologized.

"Well come on and grab a bowl!" Naruto exclaimed. Neji sat beside Sakura and ordered a bowl of ramen. By the time they were done eating Naruto finished about five bowls. Hinata just laughed lightly to herself as Naruto patted his full stomach in satisfaction.

"Hey Sakura-chan. You want to go see Sasuke-teme? Tsunade said that you, me, Sai and Kakashi-sensei could see him later today." Naruto asked.

Sakura seemed nervous, but at the same time she really wanted to see him again. "Sure she simply answered.

"I'll see him as well." Answered Sai.

Neji started to frown at this. _"She's going to see Uchiha?" _Neji thought.

Seeing this Sai asked, "What's wrong with you Hyuuga?".

"Nothing." Neji replied quickly with a stern voice, indicating that the subject should be dropped. Sakura and the other were just confused as Neji gave a quick 'bye' and disappeared in a cloud of smoke.

"What's up with him?" Naruto asked Hinata. She just shrugged.

Naruto, Sakura and Sai dropped Hinata off at her mansion as they left to see Sasuke.

They all went to the hokage tower to find Tsunade already waiting for them.

"You waited out here this whole time, just so we could see Sasuke. Wow, baa-chan! I didn't know you considered our friendship so important!" Naruto exclaimed attempting to hug the confused looking hokage.

Then a Shikamaru came out of nowhere with a medium sized package.

"Shikamaru!" The three yelled out.

"Hokage-sama. I brought you the pack of sake you ordered." He said lazily.

Everyone sweat dropped. Naruto stopped trying to hug Tsunade as he muttered something under his breath.

"Can we go see Sasuke-kun now?" Sakura asked.

"Yes, yes of course. Come with me. Shikamaru, leave that by my desk." Tsunade ordered. Shikamaru just said something like 'how troublesome' and left. The rest followed Tsunade to the hospital. "We had to examine him and see if there were any problems with him. All we found, of course, was his cursed seal. There was a brief silence. "The surprising thing was that Sasuke is, from what we can tell, completely in control of it."

There were now in the hospital outside of his room. Two anbu were standing on each side of the doorway as the four entered the room. There was another pair of anbu leaning against the wall who were watching a lone figure sitting on a bed. Naruto grinned and so did Sai, but Sakura just looked slightly shocked. Sasuke was bandaged almost head to toe. The only thing that was visible was his matured face and now long hair. Sasuke just stared at the four new visitors.

"Hey teme…" Naruto said in an unusually regular leveled voice. Sai just gave a small nod. Tsunade decided to leave the room, while giving the same hint toward the two anbu on the room. They left team 7 to themselves. The room grew silent. Sakura decided to break it.

"Hi Sasuke-kun." Sakura said with a smile.

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**AN**: Sweet all done! Thx for reading!

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**Next time**: "It's been a while."……"What are you doing here Hyuuga?"…."I want you to watch Uchiha."…"If you ever hurt Sakura again."…


	3. Prodigy Problem!

**AN:** I don't own Naruto

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**Previously:** "Hey teme…" Naruto said in an unusually regular leveled voice. Sai just gave a small nod. Tsunade decided to leave the room, while giving the same hint toward the two anbu in the room. They left team 7 to themselves. The room grew silent. Sakura decided to break it.

"Hi Sasuke-kun." Sakura said with a smile.

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**Chapter 3** - Prodigy Problem!

"It's been a while." Sakura said.

It grew silent again. The tension in the room was building and Sakura began to feel uneasy.

"Hmph. You look like a retarded mummy!" Naruto said jokingly, hoping Sakura wouldn't break down or anything.

"Shut up dobe." Sasuke retorted.

"What did you call me teme!"

"A dobe."

"Why you! Even after what you told me back there in sound your st-"

"Calm down Naruto. He's just having the guy version of PMS." Sai simply stated.

"What?" Sasuke growled out. Naruto started to laugh out loud.

"Well, yeah. I never met someone like you who acts like something got shoved up their ass, right after coming home to friends." Sai said with his fake smile. Sasuke's eye started to twitch.

"Naruto! Sai!" Sakura knocked them both on their heads. _Accidentally _Sakura put some charka into the blows and sent the two against the floor, straight on their faces. _"Oops…" _She thought as she saw she made cracks on the floor. _"Tsunade-sama's going to kill me." _The impact sent a small rumble, which Tsunade and the others felt outside of the door. The anbu members sweat dropped. _"Again? This time she's going to pay for the damages! Why can't Naruto just keep his mouth shut?" _Tsunade thought.

"_Holy crap…" _Sasuke thought as he saw the two get up.

"Ay, Sakura-chan, you didn't have to hit me so hard!" Naruto whined rubbing the lump on his head.

"Just because you're really the one with PMS doesn't mea-", but before Sai could finish his sentence, Sakura hit him square in the face, without the charka boost. As Sai was flying backward, Kakashi appeared in a cloud of smoke, but before he could say hi Sai crashed into him, sending the two across the room. Sasuke and Naruto sweat dropped.

"Kakashi-san!" Sakura said as she hurried across the room to help her former sensei up.

"_Nothing's changed……they're still so annoying."_ Sasuke thought as he watched his old team. _"But, I guess I like that fact that they didn't-"_

"Yo. Hey Sasuke." Kakashi said, breaking his train of thought. Kakashi was reading his favorite book.

"_When the hell did he get that out?"_ Sasuke thought. "Hn." Sasuke said while nodding.

"Well Sasuke as you know. Tsunade-sama needs to talk to you again, but I was the one who convinced her that your punishment shouldn't go as far as death."

"That makes me fell a lot better." Sasuke retorted sarcastically.

"It should. Or you would have been executed by now."

"Kakashi, you're awesome!" Naruto exclaimed while hugging his former sensei.

Sakura was about to say something, but before she could open her house, Tsunade walked in.

"Ok, that's enough for now. We still need to discuss important matters with Sasuke." Tsunade said scooting three of four people out.

"What about Kakashi?" Sai asked.

"Yeah!" Naruto said.

"He's going to help with the decision." Tsunade explained. The three looked puzzled as two anbu escorted them out of the hospital. When they were finally out, one of the anbu told them that the briefing should be done by morning.

Sakura and the others were worried with what they were going to do with their comrade.

"Didn't she say that our team could watch him?" Sakura asked worryingly.

"Of course! I told Baa-chan what happened on our mission! She can't just take back her word!" Naruto answered.

"You know Naruto. As hokage, she can't just give anyone favors. Even for you, Sakura, Kakashi, or for herself. She has to do what's best for the village. Letting a missing nin back with open arms isn't really looked upon as a good thing." Sai stated.

The three continued to talk amongst themselves, until Hinata came up to them.

"Hinata-chan!" Naruto exclaimed giving her a huge hug. "What are you doing here?"

"Do you think you're going to be leaving us again any time soon?" Tsunade asked.

This was a question he was asking himself over and over since the last time the two talked. _"The only time I got close to killing him was when….."_

"Sasuke, answer the question." Tsunade asked sternly.

"No, I will not run away." Sasuke stated. Tsunade just stared at him straight in the eye. After a few tense moments, Tsunade gave a satisfied smile.

"Alright, but I'll need some proof." Tsunade said, then she turned to Kakashi. "Kakashi, do you have any suggestions?"

Looking up from his book, he just said, "I think a mission would be fine."

"What kind of mission?" Sasuke asked a little suspicious, but his facial expression didn't show it.

"You'll see tomorrow morning." Sasuke raised an eyebrow. With that Tsunade left the room with Kakashi and two anbu members, while another two remained in the room watching Sasuke.

"Tsunade-sama asked for you three to come to her office tomorrow morning at ten sharp." Hinata said.

"But we just came from….She said that…AH! She planned this all along. She made us worry for no god damn reason!" Naruto exclaimed.

"But Naruto! That means Sasuke-kun's going to be ok!" Sakura exclaimed.

"Team 7 is back again!" Naruto yelled out. Sai was gloomy, but he didn't show it. Hinata was the only one to notice this.

"Sai what's wrong?" She asked. Naruto and Sakura turned their attention to their teammate.

"Nothing, nothing." Sai said with a smile waving the question off. But anyone who knew him like Sakura and Naruto, knew that something was up.

"Sai, you know this won't change anything. Tsunade won't do anything to our team. Who cares if there's one extra person? We talked about this." Naruto said.

"I know, I know. It's ok I'm-"

"Sai don't try to lie to us. We can see through it….But you know that we're friends. We wouldn't just leave you for someone else, what kind of people do you think we are?" Sakura said.

Sai was about to make a smart remark to the last question Sakura asked, but Naruto stopped him before his friend's face found her fist again.

"Let's get some ramen!" Naruto exclaimed. Hinata just smiled as she and the others followed the hyperactive blond toward Ichiraku.

Neji was walking down the halls toward Tsunade's office. He knocked on the door and entered when he heard someone say 'come in'.

"Hokage-sama, you wanted to see me?" Neji asked.

The person in question turned her chair around to face the jounin, as she placed her chin on her laced fingers.

"Yes, I'm glad you came. Would you mind helping us see if Sasuke's truly here to stay?" Tsunade asked.

Neji's muscles tensed at the thought of Sasuke. "And how do you suppose I do that?"

"I want you to watch Uchiha."

"Excuse me?"

"I'll be giving a mission to him and his old team. I just want you to be there too. Incase something happens."

"Isn't Kakashi going to be with them?"

"Yes, but I want him to take care special of Naruto. Plus with Akatsuki and Orochimaru around, chances shouldn't be taken. Don't you remember your last mission to sound? When you and your team was sent to Orochimaru's hideout. As I remember, the Akatsuki was there also, then there was an all out brawl? Am I correct?"

"Hn."

"Good. Come back in the morning ten sharp and I'll give the mission briefing."

"Hai, hokage-sama." Neji said and gave a small bow. He then left the room.

"Ahhh…" Tsunade said as she rubbed her temple. _"This is too bothersome. Now for some of that sake Shikamaru brought before."_

As Neji was walking back down the halls, he sensed a familiar charka pattern. _"Uchiha?" _He made a turn to the left, and went through a different passage, and saw the person he was supposed to watch tomorrow leaning against the wall.

"What are you doing here Hyuuga?" Sasuke said without looking at him.

"No reason." Neji answered and stayed in his place. "Shouldn't there be anbu watching you?"

"I'm staying in this building all night. They know if I'm here or not."

"Hn." Neji continued to stay in place.

Sasuke let out a sigh in frustration. "Ok, what do you want?" Sasuke said, getting of the wall, giving Neji his full attention.

"I don't want you to do anything stupid tomorrow."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean."

"Exactly what you think it means." Sasuke clenched his teeth at his remark.

"We don't need you to hurt people unnecessarily again." Sasuke knew he meant Naruto and Sakura.

"I won't."

"Hmph. From past records, I can't take your word on that." Neji said. The two were in a glaring contest after that last retort.

"Why would you give a damn now? I've never known you to be the protective type."

"Over the years you betrayed us, everyone helped Naruto and Sakura cope with your disappearance. Over three years of dedication and work, they put their lives on the line to get some damn sense into you. Do you know how they felt when they found that the three year period past? The depression, the blame, the grief? Did you understand how they felt when they found out that Orochimaru didn't inhabit your body yet? You hurt a lot of people here, but you hurt those two the most. I've trained with them and spent time with them, probably a hell lot more than you! Even Sai's probably on better social terms with them than you ever were, yet they still did everything just to bring you back!" Neji stated sternly, clenching his fists tight.

Sasuke closed his eyes and let the words sink in for a bit.

"You don't understand Hyuuga. Naruto and Sakura get the idea, but you still seem at a stand still." Sasuke started to walk toward Neji, and stopped in front of him. "Maybe you should get two out of three sides of the story before you pass judgment on me." He then walked past the Hyuuga prodigy. Sasuke stopped when Neji place his hand on his shoulder firmly.

"If you ever hurt Sakura again." Neji took his hand away from Sasuke's shoulder. "If you hurt anyone again…That'll be it." Neji then walked past the glaring Uchiha, and went out of the building.

"Ahhh…That hit the spot!" Naruto exclaimed.

"Oh shit! I didn't see my parents yet!" Sakura said.

"What wrong with that? You barely see your parents. Are they even home?" Naruto asked.

"No Naruto-kun, remember her parents always wanted a brief report on how she's doing. You know how impatient they are." Hinata explained.

Naruto flinched. He remembered the time he made Sakura come home late for extra training. Late as in six in the morning. He gulped at the memory. _"I don't want to pee in my pants again!" _He thought. As he remembered all the blame went on him.

"Sakura! What are you doing! Get out of here!" Naruto said nervously.

"Right!" Sakura was about to sprint home, but Sai caught her wrist.

"What are you doing Sai?" Sakura said, as sai was drinking tea in one hand while holding onto Sakura's wrist with the other.

"I can just transport you there. It's faster." Sai said.

"Oh! Thanks." And the two disappeared in a cloud of smoke.

"You think they'll be alright Naruto-kun?"

"No."

It was now morning. Naruto and Sakura were walking toward the Hokage's office as they met Sai along the way.

"So what do you think baa-chan's going to make us do?" Naruto asked excitingly to his teammates.

The two shrugged, as they continued to walk. Sakura started to yawn while continue trudging along the path, and Sai seemed to space out.

"What the hell's wrong with you two?"

"Last night was a hell hole." Sakura said. Sai nodded in agreement.

"What happened?" Naruto asked.

The two thought back to what happened………..

_Sai and Sakura appeared in front of the apartment. _

_"Thanks Sai." Sakura said as she opened the door. "Oh! Crap!" _

_"What?"_

_"I left my stuff at Hinata's place!"_

_"Here, I'll just go get it and come back."_

_"Thanks!" Sakura said as she went inside. Sai disappeared when the door closed._

_"Mom, Dad! I'm home!" Sakura looked around the living room. **"That's weird their shoes are here." **She thought, but then she heard her Mother call out her name from her room. "Sakura! Get in here now!" **"Oh shit! They sound pissed." **_

_Sakura cautiously went into her room. "Yeah mom?"_

_"Don't act all innocent!" Her mom was hysterical. _

_"What's wrong?" She looked around the room and just saw some clothes on the floor. Sure her room was a little messy, but nothing to get so upset over._

_"Don't you dare lie to us young lady! I'll give you one chance to tell us the truth." Her father said angrily._

_**"Truth? What truth? Sasuke came back, is that what they want?" **"Okaaayyyy. Ummm Sasuke-kun came back to Kohana…" Sakura said unsure of the heck was wrong with them._

_"Not that! The truth about sleeping with someone before marriage!" Her father exclaimed._

_It took a moment to understand. "SAY WHAAAAAATTTTTTT!" Her eyes pretty much left her sockets. "What the fuck are you guys talking about!"_

_Her mother gasped at her language, but Sakura ignored it. Then her father grabbed, and showed her sheets that had some blood stains on it. It finally hit her. **"Oh shit!" **Sakura thought as she finally put the pieces together. The scattered clothes on the floor, her not being home, blood on the sheet on the messy bed. _

_"Ok! Time out!" Sakura exclaimed putting her hands up. "I didn't sleep with anybody! I swear for Kami's sake! I just got hurt while training, and then I don't know what happened." _

_"Sakura you could tell us!" Her father said while grabbing her shoulders. "Were you drugged!"_

_She just looked at him with a What-the-fuck- stare. "No dad." She said. Her mother started to cry out loud. "Ah, mom, come on…"_

_Then out of nowhere a cloud of smoke appeared into the room._

_"Sai?" Everyone said. Sai was just standing there with one of his smile while carrying Sakura's backpack._

_"Sai. What are you doing with Sakura's pack?" Sakura's father asked suspiciously._

_"Oh. She left it at the house and I'm just returning it." He then turned to Sakura. "Sakura, sorry about the mess in the room. I didn't have time to clean the sheets, and I guess I kind of screwed up your clothes arrangement while looking for spare ones when you were knocked out cold."_

_Everyone was staring at him. **"Oh Kami. Just let Orochimaru attack the village already…Sai why do you have to be so honest and so freaken prompt!"**Sakura thought._

_Sakura's parents gave Sai a death glare. "Uhh, ummm…Mr. and Mrs. Haruno? What's wrong?" Sai asked. _

"_**Dear god…"** Sakura thought as she placed her hands over her face._

After Sakura told Naruto. All he could say was, "Holy shit."

"How did you guys get out alive?" He asked.

"It took a couple of hours, but I explained everything clearly about twenty times." Sai said.

When they finally reached the hokage's office, they saw Kakashi and Sasuke waiting there.

"Teme!" Naruto exclaimed.

"Sasuke-kun!" Sakura said.

"You're on this mission as well?" Sai asked. Sasuke gave him a small glare then nodded. _"I see he still doesn't like me."_ He thought.

"Hi Kakashi-san!" Sakura, Naruto, and Sai greeted.

He looked up from his book and said a quick "Yo." The he went back to reading and giggling.

"Kakashi-san, you should really stop reading those books in front of people." Sakura advised.

"Umm. I'll think about it." He said with a smile.

Then Tsunade entered the room. "Alright sorry I'm late I-"

"Don't bother baa-chan. Kakashi made us used to having people come late." Naruto said.

"Hey, I came early this time." Kakashi defended.

"Because Tsunade told you to meet here at eight o' clock. You just came a couple of minutes before they did." Sasuke said.

Everyone sweat dropped.

"Well. We're just missing one more person." Tsunade said.

Everyone was confused. "Who?" Naruto asked. Just then the door opened and Neji stepped in.

XXXXXXXXX

**Next Time**: "Neji? What wrong?"…"Kakashi-san! It's not like that at all!"…"Hey teme. What's wrong with you?"

XXXXXXXX

**AN**: I'm sooo sry that this story took so long! My computer got a virus called BraveSentry 2.0 and I can't use my computer! Cries Right now I'm using my friend's. (She's going wtf are doing typing Naruto stories on my computer for the past couple of hours!) And now she's reading this with a strange expression. Oww! She hit me! Owww! Kuso! Well yeah….My other stores will take longer, Sry, but this god damn virus slows down my pc and shuts it down…..Crap!


	4. Confessions!

**AN:** I don't own Naruto

XXXXXXX

**Previously:** "Well. We're just missing one more person." Tsunade said.

Everyone was confused. "Who?" Naruto asked. Just then the door opened and Neji stepped in.

XXXXXXXXXX

**Chapter 4 –**Confessions!

"Neji!" Everyone said out loud, except of course Tsunade and Kakashi.

"Neji will assist you on your mission as well." Tsunade explained. She cleared her throat loudly, toward the one eyed nin, he got the hint and put down his book. "His talents may be needed for this mission."

"And what kind of mission is it?" Kakashi asked.

Tsunade gave a small smile, "To retrieve an important document from a small corrupted organization in the Grey Village located in the outskirts of Kohana near the country's border, and switch it with this one." She said as she placed a medium sized, dark green scroll onto the table. "The document you will be retrieving, from what we suspect, holds orders and information that has something to do with Orochimaru. We think it might be an alliance treaty, but we can't be sure because we never heard of these shinobi before. The one to inform us is the head of the police there. We need some funds for any upcoming 'events'. He has already paid us, so we have no reason to deny his request, especially since it might involve Orochimaru."

"What is this mission really about?" Sasuke asked suspiciously.

"I don't know what you mean." Tsunade said with a passive tone. _"They wouldn't just trust me right off the back. Probation would have been the most logical solution, why the hell would they take the chance and allow me to leave the village? They probably will send someone after us, to keep an eye on me."_ He thought as he scowled.

"Well Tsunade-sama, is there anything else." Kakashi asked.

"You will have one week to complete this mission. I am expecting this to be successful mission from the shinobi of my village. Am I understood?" Tsunade asked strictly.

"Hai!" Everyone chorused.

"Alright then, you are all to leave early tomorrow morning. Spend the rest of today to get ready. I want everyone to stay together until then." She said looking at her assembled team. "You're all dismissed!"

When the ninjas left, Shizune asked, "Tsunade-sama, isn't it a problem that Sasuke-san suspects something."

"No, he might be too distracted from his teammates." Tsunade said as she took out a bottle and sake from under her desk. With a sigh, Shizune just walked out of the room with a couple of unfinished documents.

While walking toward the training hallow, Sasuke and Neji seemed to take a pledge of silence as the rest seemed to converse. All the while Sasuke and Neji glared at each other every time they somehow met the other's gaze.

"Why are you two so silent?" Sai asked, a little bored with the topic Kakashi brought up about his excuses of being late all the time.

Sasuke and Neji both just stared at him for a second, each giving a 'hn'. They both then gave each other death glares after saying the same thing in sequence.

"What's wrong with you teme?" Naruto asked.

"How can you guys be so calm? Don't you think something is going on?" Sasuke asked.

"Well Sasuke, we have no choice in the matter, now do we? There's no point in suspecting something, and being paranoid before the mission." Kakashi said without looking away from his favorite book. Neji's eye's were closed, and seemed to be contemplating.

"Neji? What's wrong?" Sakura asked.

"I can agree with Uchiha. Something about this mission is untrustworthy. I can tell you that something interesting is going to happen." Naji said out of nowhere.

"Well Neji, I'm sure everyone here knows that missions with Naruto always have some kinds of twists to it." Sakura said as she smiled at Neji.

"Hey what's that suppose to mean?" Naruto said while pouting a little.

"I don't mean it in a bad way…Well not entirely. Remember the Naruto bridge in the Wave country?"

"Yeah, yeah!" Naruto said proudly. Sasuke remembered that mission, how he and Naruto fought together, how their teamed trained with their chakra, how Sakura cried for him.

"Is that why there's a bridge named Naruto on the map?" Neji asked.

"Yup!" Both Naruto and Sakura said in unison. Sakura gave him another smile, which made Neji somewhat uneasy in a good way. _"She smiles too much at Hyuuga."_ Sasuke thought. _"Wait…What the fuck!"_ Sasuke tried to shake his head clear. After which, he started to think again. "_They've all changed. They have some similar traits from what I remembered before, but defiantly different. Naruto's taller than me, what the heck!" _He looked at his blond comrade who was talking to Sai and Kakashi about something he was sure he wasn't interested in. _"Kakashi is still the same pervert, Sai…I don't like him."_ Then he directed his attention to Sakura when he heard her laugh. Neji was just smiling as Sakura playfully punched him on the shoulder. _"I guess I can be happy that she doesn't drool over me anymore." _He then decided to pay some attention to her appearance for once.

Sakura was definitely someone who you would give a double-take to. Which is exactly what some guys on the streets did. From what Naruto said, well ranted on about, on the way home when they battled it out. Sakura was known as a medic prodigy, and the prized student of the hokage herself. Just thinking of her monstrous strength that was passed down to her, made him, what do you call it? Proud…no, amazed, stunned? But what he seemed to be more interested in now was the way she acted towards him. She was now more like Naruto, just a good friend. Did she forget how she felt when that night she told him that she lo-, no. They were too young. "_It was probably just the spur of the moment kind of thing_. _She changed the most…For the better right? She's more into friendship now I guess..." _He said to himself, but couldn't help but feel, a little disappointed, or pissed off, he couldn't tell which. But when he saw Sakura treat Neji like she used to treat with him. He was then sure it was both…but why? He shook his head again. _"What the hell's wrong with me!" _He thought as some, or many, people they passed by stared at him and whispered to one another. As the team continued to walk on, more and more people were seen whispering to each other, giving the Uchiha hateful glares.

Seeing this, Naruto and Sakura got pissed off.

"What the heck are you people looking at!" Naruto yelled at the staring public.

"Yeah! What the hell wrong with you guys!" Sakura yelled out.

They villagers seemed to ignore the two. Then one brave citizen called out, "He's a traitor!" Murmurs of agreement were heard from the now formed crowd around them.

"What'd you say! Take it back!" Sakura said angrily, as she cracked her knuckles.

"Hey! Don't you people ever judge my friend like that!" Naruto yelled.

"Why should we listen to a beast like you!" an old man called out. The guy was quickly hushed by all the people around him, but each of them seemed to agree with him.

Naruto clenched his teeth as memories of similar remarks ran through his mind.

Sakura was about to kick the guy's face in, same with Neji.

"That's it." Kakashi said, putting away his book.

"No. Let them say what they want. I don't give a rat's ass." Sasuke said stopping his teammates from an all out massacre.

Another villager was about to yell something out, but was silenced by none other than Sai.

"I read somewhere that wars and hatred toward others could have been prevented by forgiveness, but idiots such as yourselves can never see that, and that's why we have unnecessary hate." The guy just stared at him like he was crazy. "I'm just saying that, for people like you, I learned from my friends that there is no place in our society for trash like you."

_"I guess this guy isn't that bad."_ Sasuke thought as Neji and Sai cleared the crowd that formed around them.

Some people insisted on speaking their minds, but Neji gave them a few bruises to shut them up for a long period of time.

Luckily Kakashi was able to keep Naruto's and Sakura's anger in check, or there wouldn't have been a Konoha anymore.

"You know that they'll just keep talking. There's no point in wasting ener-" but Sasuke was cut off by Naruto. "What the fuck are you talking about! Never in the time I've known you, that I have ever seen you let some jackasses put you down! You have to show them that you are to be respected and acknowledged!" He yelled in a frustrated tone.

"Hmph. And how long have you tried to win their acknowledgement?" Sasuke asked with an angered expression. Naruto just looked at him blankly. The others just listened attentively to their comrade.

"Sasuke-kun…" Sakura whispered with a sad expression. Neji put his hand on her shoulder to stop her from saying anything more, and let the Uchiha continue. Sai once again, felt left out as his teammates reminisced about their history.

"You tried to get their approval all your live right? After all you did for this village, there are still people who can't see trough the wall they built themselves. Face it! There are always going to be people who won't accept you! You can't make everyone understand. They can never understand…" Sasuke then put his hands in his pockets and started to walk off to the training grounds. After a while, he stopped when someone put a hand on his shoulder. He didn't bother turning around to see who it was. He merely pulled himself away and continued to walk on, but was stopped again, this time with a more firm hold.

"Stop…Stop running away." Sakura said looking down, as she released his shoulder.

"What?" Sasuke said not even turning around. He knew they couldn't be overheard by anyone when he sensed the others were a safe distance away.

"You're running away Sasuke-kun."

Sasuke turned around to face his pink haired teammate.

"Naruto's right you know. You have to understand-" Sakura began.

"There's nothing to understand!" Sasuke said cutting her off.

Sakura felt like the scared twelve year old girl again when she saw the cold expression in his eyes, but she pushed the thought away. _"I'm not like before." _She told herself.

"I said this before, and I guess you didn't hear me." She said firmly, which had the Uchiha taken back, but he didn't show any signs of it. Some tears formed in her eyes, but Sakura just pushed them back.

"You push everyone out. You won't take help when you know you need it. You try and break any ties you somehow form with anybody. What the hell is wrong with you!" Sakura screamed out in frustration. She knew this was just annoying him, but she had to tell him now or she would implode. "Ever since I met you, you had some kind of stick up your ass! Yes, I know you lost those who are precious to you. Everyone you knew is gone. I know you want revenge, but have you ever got your damn head out of the past! Have you ever taken a glance at the present! There are people who now care for you as their precious person. I thought you knew it when you let Naruto live after your battle the day after you left me on that freaken bench! But I guess I was wrong…You're not the Sasuke I thought you were…You're just a scared little child afraid to have any bonds with anyone. You're too afraid to lose anyone else, so you push them away! But Sasuke…Haven't you ever thought that by pushing us away, and destroying any ties you made with us, is just as bad as losing us?...Or are we that annoying?…Are we such a waste of your time!...Am I…That useless to you?" Sakura couldn't hold back her tears anymore.

She didn't even bother trying to wipe them away as she stared directly into black bottomless pools Sasuke called eyes. Sakura tried her best to stop the tears that were running down her face, but it seemed impossible at the moment. She felt terrible from the actions she just took, and now there was some kind of old forgotten pain in her chest, or more specifically, her heart.

"You don't know how lonely we felt when you left Sasuke-kun…Me, Naruto, and Kakashi-san. When we found that three years were over, I found everything around me crashing into a bottomless ditch I made myself." Sakura said in a silent tone. She didn't seem to be talking directly to him anymore. She looked into the distance with a blank, but pained expression. The tears in her eyes stopped, as she seemed to be lost in thought. Sasuke thought back with his talk with Neji.**_ "Over the years you betrayed us, everyone helped Naruto and Sakura cope with your disappearance. Over three years of dedication and work, they put their lives on the line to get some damn sense into you. Do you know how they felt when they found that the three year period past? The depression, the blame, the grief?"_** Sasuke scowled as he saw his teammate beginning to cry again, replacing the dried streaks on her cheeks that were moist moments ago. **_"You hurt a lot of people here, but you hurt those two the most. I've trained with them and spent time with them, probably a hell lot more than you! Even Sai's probably on better social terms with them than you ever were, yet they still did everything just to bring you back!"_**

"I guess this still means nothing to you." Sakura said out of the blue, bringing Sasuke back to reality. She gave him one of the saddest smiles he had ever seen, "I'm sorry I wasted your time, again…" She then slowly breathed in and out, while walking past Sasuke toward the training grounds. Sasuke remembered the time the two spent together the night he left Kohana, as he watched her receding form.

_"That smile…I've never seen her so miserable in my life…I don't ever want to see her like that again."_ Sasuke thought.

Sakura continued to walk on while wiping off some tears. She knew her eyes were now swollen red, and she felt ridiculous in confronting her old teammate and crying in front of him like a crybaby, yet she somehow felt relieved. _"It was stupid of me to waste my time like that."_ She thought, while still walking on, but then she felt arms wrap around her waist. She involuntarily flinched, but resisted punching the guy in the face when she knew it was Sasuke.

"S-sasuke-kkkun? What are-" Sakura began.

"Don't ever do that again." Sasuke said in a low sad voice.

"What ar-"

"I don't ever want to see you cry again like that in front of me. I don't ever want you to smile like that as well."

"……"

"Are you…Or the others…angry with me?" Sasuke suddenly asked out of the blue.

"Well…Sasuke-kun…not as much as you may think, but…How could you just leave like that?"

"I didn't…I couldn't…I'm…I'm sorry." Sasuke whispered.

"W-what!" She was completely shocked. _"Did he just-"_

"I said I'm sorry…I know you won't forgi-"

"It's ok Sasuke-kun. You know that I will always forgive you. Me, Kakashi, and Naruto. It's ok." She started to smile, feeling some weight lift from her wounded heart.

"How can you guys just forgive me like that?"

"You're more than our friend Sasuke-kun…"

"…"

"But, just one thing Sasuke-kun."

"Hn?"

"Why did you-" Sakura began to ask as she tried to wipe away the new batch of tears that rolled down her cheeks. But before she could fully ask her question, he suddenly let go of her and distanced himself away as he started to walk toward the training grounds.

_"What the hell?"_ She thought until Naruto and the rest were now in view heading towards her. She quickly wiped her tears away and put on a smile as her team stood right in front of her.

"Sakura-chan-"

"It's ok Naruto. Me and Sasuke-kun are fine." Sakura said. The team started to head on toward the training ground seeing that pressuring their female companion with questions wasn't the best thing to do now. Sakura could understand the concerned looks from Naruto, Sai, and Kakashi, but what made her confused was the pissed off expression that Neji gave out. Too bad for Sakura, Neji saw the whole scene that the two played moments ago. He felt hurt, irritated, and not to mention, completely pissed off. _"How can she just accept him just like that!"_ He thought as he and Sakura were beginning to lose their teammates in front. When they were a good distance away, Sakura decided to break the uneasy silence between them.

"Neji? What's wrong?" She asked seeing that he didn't stop frowning since she saw him come back with the rest of their team.

"Nothing." He replied, not even looking in her direction.

"Tell me."

"…." Sakura was getting a little irritated now. With her right hand she held onto Neji's left wrist for an immediate stop. She just had a serious discussion with Sasuke and she didn't need this kind of crap with one of her best friends.

"Damnit Hyuuga answer me!" Said said in a fustrated tone, letting go of his wrist.

Neji looked at her with a slightly pissed and hurt expression.

"How can you just forgive him, just like that?" He said barely a whisper.

"W-wha-?"

"How can you just let him come in and get another chance to hurt you again!" He yelled, cutting off the astonished kunoichi.

"How did?…What are-?"

"How can you trust him like that so easily!" Cutting her off again.

"You were watching us!" She said in a slightly angered tone. "You used your byakugen to watch us!"

"No!...Yeah, but not to spy. I wanted to know when me and the others could approach you two so-" This time Sakura cut him off.

"What's up with you Neji?" She asked looking at him straight in the eyes.

"What are you talking about?"

"First, you're one of the best friends I know, but when anything has to do with Sasuke-kun, you just turn into your old self. Why?"

"Hmph." Neji smirked, which got Sakura really confused. "Just think about what you just said and put the pieces together…That's why I'm like this."

"Sasuke-kun? Why are you so negative towards him? Yeah sure he did stupid thing before, but people learn from their mistakes!" Sakura was beginning to cry again.

"Isn't it obvious! Can't you see that I'm like this because I always wan-…Nevermind." Neji just said as he started to head toward the training grounds, wanting to end their discussion.

"Always wanted what!" She yelled as she stopped him from going any further.

Neji just sighed. He'd shown too much emotion for today, he wasn't used to this kind of stress.

"…Lets just say that I woke up every morning hoping to see the smile that gives me reasons to change myself, but now, I'm not sure waking up for a smile that was meant for someone else is worth seeing…" with that Neji just left the stunned kunoichi as she watched him disappear into the distance. Tears once again welled up in her eyes, but for a different reason.

When Neji reached the training area, the rest of the team had already started in combat.

"I see you and Sakura had some alone time?" Kakashi asked behind his favorite book, while sitting on a low hanging branch.

"…" Neji just sat down under a different tree away from the rest to meditate.

"Kakashi-san! It's not like that at all!" Naruto yelled out from his battle.

"-san, when the hell did you add –san to Kakashi-san?" Sai asked as he unravled an empty scroll drawing tigers on it swiftly.

"Ummm…uhhh…"

"He's been reading your books probably." Sakura said out of nowhere, appearing through a couple of shrubs. She put on a smile as she began to stretch. Sasuke could tell something was up. _"Hyuuga…What the hell did you do?" _Sasuke thought as he was punched by Naruto.

"Hey teme. What's wrong with you?" Naruto asked staring at his friend as he got up. "You could of blocked that with a blind fold!"

"Shut up dobe."

"What did you say!"

"Dob-" But Sasuke was cut off when a large black tiger pounced at the two from both sides. They quickly jumped out of the way as the ink beasts collided with one another.

"You two should really pay attention." Sai stated as he reached in his pack for another empty scroll. Sakura soon joined the battle and the four fought it out as two of their other members watched.

It was now morning and the sun barely showered the half conscious village hidden in the leaves. Team 7 and Neji were all assembled next to the gates.

"Ready everyone?" Kakashi asked, for once not from behind the cover of Icha Icha Paradise.

"Yosh!" Naruto exclaimed.

"Hn." Both Sasuke and Neji said.

"Sure." Sai responded.

"Yup." Sakura said.

Then the team left off toward Grey village.

While traveling toward the outskirts of Kohana, Sasuke, and the otherscouldn't help but notice the silence within the team. _"Neji and Sakura are acting strange?"_ Sai thought as they continued on they're journey. _"Keep an eye on the bastard."_ Neji thought over and over again, trying to avoid the thought of Sakura's tears he saw from the back of his head. _"Damn 360 degree vision!"_ _"What the hell's wrong with everyone!"_ Naruto thought. _"Sasuke-kun…Neji…"_ Sakura thought sadly. Seeing his teammates Kakashi thought, "This is going to be one shitty week." As he checked his pack again to find ten volumes of his favorite book series. _"At least I'll be somewhat entertained." _

But while the team was thinking about complications within the group, two pairs of eyes were watching them from the outside.

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**Next time**: "Neji, please…"…"Who the hell are you?"…"I knew this was too easy."…"Welcome to Grey Village."-"I don't trust that guy."

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**AN**: Yup computer's still $#ed up….I'm thinking of just getting a new one…sob…Well sry this update took so long. My friend's still pmsing about me using her comp, so yeah. If this chapter sux, I'm so sry! I'm in a rush these days with summer school and crap! So…Much…Goddamned…HOMEWORK! Dear GOD!


	5. Just saying

-**AN**: OK you guys I'm sooooooooo sorry that updates are taking so damn long, but I just got a new computer an I'm just trying to get used to it……it's a little slow but it's ok, I'll try really hard to update during 7/8 - 7/9. I just need to do some summer vacation Homework… shit! geometry sukz balls!… well, yeah, don't worry! I'm going to still continue the series! Just don't send evil hate mails! Lol, hehe….sweat drop…


	6. Fixing Problems

-AN: I don't own Naruto.

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**Previously: **While traveling toward the outskirts of Kohana, Sasuke, and the otherscouldn't help but notice the silence within the team. _"Neji and Sakura are acting strange?"_ Sai thought as they continued on they're journey. _"Keep an eye on the bastard."_ Neji thought over and over again, trying to avoid the thought of Sakura's tears he saw from the back of his head. _"Damn 360 degree vision!"_ _"What the hell's wrong with everyone!"_ Naruto thought. _"Sasuke-kun…Neji…"_ Sakura thought sadly. Seeing his teammates Kakashi thought, "This is going to be one shitty week." As he checked his pack again to find ten volumes of his favorite book series. _"At least I'll be somewhat entertained." _

But while the team was thinking about complications within the group, two pairs of eyes were watching them from the outside.

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**Chapter 4 (part 1)** - Fixing problems...

It's been a few hours now and thy were nearing the border. It's been a little quiet within the group, which brought some uneasiness. The sun was high and bright, bringing warmth to the forest around them. Naruto and Sai seemed to be more concerned with their teammates than the mission. Sakura, Neji, and Sasuke always avoided eye contact with each other, and because of that Naruto started to get pissed. _"What the hell's wrong with them!" _He thought in frustration.

Finally after a few more silent minutes he yelled out, "What the hell's up with you guys!" everyone within the group just stared at the fuming blond.

"Naruto-" Kakashi began.

"NO! You, teme! What did you do to Sakura, and Neji what's your problem?" He demanded.

"Shut up dobe." Sasuke said.

"Hn." Neji replied.

Sakura looked at the two with a sad expression.

"It won't help us if you guys aren't going to help or even like each other." Sai said aloud. "Stop acting like immature brats and make up already."

"It's nothing you guys. We're just a little uneasy from the mission." Sakura lied.

Naruto stopped, which brought the others to do the same.

"Naruto?" Sakura began.

"I think we need a brake." Kakashi said to the group. "I'll get some lunch." With that Kakashi left in a cloud of smoke.

"Ok, now lets get some things straight." Naruto said, directing his attention toward the others. Sai nodded in agreement.

"Just drop it do-"

"Shut up teme!" Naruto said angrily to his friend. Naruto then turned to Sakura. "Sakura-chan, I want to know what's going on." He had a serious expression.

"Naruto." Sakura began, and then sighed. "It's just that-"

"Uchiha can't be trusted so easily." Neji said cutting off the surprised kunoichi.

"Excuse me?" Sasuke said activating his sharingan.

"How can we really believe that your not here as a spy?"

"I said this before. I am never going to help that snake in any way."

"I can't really trust you."

"Neji, please…" Sakura pleaded. "Trust can always be built."

"Yeah, Sakura-chan's right." Naruto agreed.

"If you don't trust me, that's just fine with me." Sasuke said as he turned to leave.

"Sasu-" Sakura began but Sai beat her to it.

"Sasuke-kun." Sai placed his hand on his shoulder which stopped the Uchiha. "You shouldn't just run away from the problem at hand."

Sasuke remembered those same words that were said to him by his old teammate only the night before.

"You guys can trust me. I'm not stupid." He faced his teammates. Naruto just gave him a smirk and Sakura gave him a small smile. "Hyuuga." He turned his attention toward the byakugen user. "What will it take to get you off by back?"

"A lot." Neji said while still wearing a frown.

"Hn."

"There we go!" Naruto called out as he grabbed both Neji and Sasuke into a hug.

"Let go dobe!" Sasuke growled out.

"Release me now." Neji said.

Sakura could only laugh at the sight in front of her. Both Neji and Sasuke were in a headlock in each of Naruto's arms as Sai took out a scroll and drew the scene in front of them.

"Hmph, seems like they're finally getting along huh?" a figure only about a minute away from the group said.

"Yeah, it seems that way Hinata. Kakashi, are you going to get that lunch you left to get?" Kiba asked.

"Oh yeah, thanks for reminding me." Kakashi patted Akamaru on the head as he got ready to leave. "Oh, remember Hinata. Even if we are in trouble with some other nin, you two have to keep yourselves hidden. Sasuke's already suspicious about this mission, so be extra cautious. I know Neji was sent to do the same job as you two it seems that there are some complications, but he doesn't know you two are following us as well." Kakashi explained.

"But why doesn't he-" but before Hinata could finish, Kakashi already vanished in a puff of smoke.

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AN: I know it's short! But I'm writing the second half by Mon-Tues. Promise!


	7. Pt2 Grey Village

-AN: I don't own Naruto…

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**Chapter 5 (part 2) - Grey Village **

"Argggg! Where the hell is Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto said aloud, while pacing in circles. "I'm starving."

"Did you eat anything this morning?" Sakura asked.

"Um…No."

"Baka."

Naruto just held his rumbling stomach. "It's been and hour since he left. Where is he?" Naruto said sitting down next to his pink haired teammate.

"Just wait, and shut it." Sai said, drawing on one of his scrolls.

Naruto just 'hmphed' and stayed quiet, while crossing his arms._ "It may have been over three years but Naruto's still the same."_ Sakura thought.

"I guess since Kakashi's probably isn't going to be back for a while, I'll just get some fish in the mean time, in the river nearby." Sakura said standing up.

"I'll come with you." Neji said, standing up as well. Sasuke just stared at the two with an emotionless face.

"Sasuke-kun can you make the fire?" She asked.

"Hn." He said as he got up and headed toward the woods.

"I'll wait here and see if Kakashi-san comes back." Sai suggested.

"I'm going to go look for Kakashi-sensei." Naruto said getting up as well.

With the help of Neji's byakugen, he and Sakura neared a small river that crossed through a clearing, and stopped in a small pool enclosed by some boulders.

"Here we go." Sakura said, taking out some kunai from her holster. She tossed the kunais toward Neji, and he caught them with a slightly confused expression.

"Just catch the fish when they come out of the water." Sakura said as she neared the river. She sat down at the edge and started to take off her long black boots, and her outer skirt.

"Wh-what are you doing!" Neji said turning around quickly, with a small blush.

"What?…Oh, don't worry I have shorts underneath." She said, laughing a little. Neji saw her from the back of his head and calmed down a bit when he saw that she was telling the truth. "What, you think I would take my clothes off in front of you." She said jokingly. She took off her headband as she gave him a smile before she jumped into the river. Neji just breathed in and out as he got himself ready to catch their lunch.

While underwater, Sakura looked around for some fish. She swam a couple of meters forward until she found a small school nearby. She quickly hid herself, next to a sunken log, until the fish came close enough and then she punched the ground hard causing the water to shoot upward like a fountain. Neji saw his chance as he threw the kunai in hand straight at the fish in mid air. With a couple of thuds against a tree, six fish were hanging against the trunk with a kunai embedded in their heads. Sakura swarm upward and broke the water's surface as she took deep breaths. Neji was just dazed at the sight of his teammate coming out of the water. Sakura reached the edge, and lifted herself out of the water. She walked toward her discarded gears and started to dry herself off. She twisted her short hair which spilled water on the floor. Luckily it was very sunny, so she didn't have to worry about being dripping wet for the rest of the day. While putting on her headband she finally noticed Neji staring at her with a slightly open mouth.

Feeling uneasy she asked, "Ummm, Neji. Something wrong?"

Neji just shook himself out of his daze. "Nothing….Uh, well we got six fish, that should hold us until Kakashi comes back."

"Ummm, I think we should get some more." Sakura suggested.

"Why?"

"Well, if you've been with Kakashi-san as long as me and Naruto, you'll know that he can't be reliable in some areas."

Neji just nodded in understanding. "Ok." With that Sakura jumped back into the water, splashing Neji at the same time. Sakura poked her head out of the water and saw a pissed looking Neji.

"Gomen Neji." Sakura apologized. Neji just looked at her pouting face, and couldn't stay angry at her. Sakura smiled when he smirked, but her smiled changed into a questioning look when Neji walked toward her. _"What the?" _She thought when he walked on top of the water.

"Neji?" She said before he kicked the water and splashed some water at her. "Hey I'm already wet!" Sakura said as she too got on top of the water. Neji just stood their with his arms crossed. "Want to be that way, fine." Sakura used her inhuman strength and stomped on the water's surface creating a tidal wave. Neji simply released chakra on the soles of his feet and dove down in the water before the wave of water could touch him. Sakura threw some kunai in the now small wall of water catching some fish which landed and stuck on another tree trunk. Satisfied with her catch she didn't realize someone was directly under her, before she knew it, Neji dragged her underwater.

"Ahhh!" Sakura yelled out. Neji only dragged her under until only her head was above the water. Seconds later Neji stuck his head out of the water. "What the hell!" Sakura said, laughing a little as she splashed some water on him.

"Hey." Neji said. He then lifted his right hand above the water, which held three wriggling fish by their tails. He just smirked at Sakura's expression. But it was her turn to smirk as she pointed to a tree trunk which had five fish stuck to it.

"Whatever." Neji said as he threw the fish next to Sakura's gear. "Lets get-" But before he could finish Sakura dragged him underwater.

The two kind of ignored time as they splashed each other. Finally, the two got out of the water completely soaked. They decided it was time to leave and collected all the fish, as they headed to their other teammates. When the two left the clearing Sasuke jumped down from a high tree branch with some fire wood in his arm.

Sasuke just kicked some rocks into the river. _"Why the hell am I pissed off?" _He thought. He shook his head in confusion. _"Damn Hyuuga." _He disappeared in a cloud of smoke and went to camp to set up the fire before the others would notice his disappearance.

Even before Neji and Sakura could reach the others, they heard Naruto's ranting.

"What do you mean you got lost in the road of life!" Naruto yelled at the bored looking jounin.

When Kakashi saw the other two of his teammates appear from behind the bushes with lunch, he quickly adverted the rambling blond's attention toward them.

"Hey what the-Sakura-chan! Neji! You got a hell lot of fish!" Naruto said aloud as he helped the two prepare the fish. After they're quick meal and with rejuvenated strength, the team continued on they're way to Grey village.

"It was nice of Kakashi-san to get us lunch…But I feel bad that it was Naruto and the others' meal." Hinata said to Kiba.

"Ahhh, it's ok. Sakura and Neji brought them lunch anyway. Besides, Akamaru alone ate four of the six lunch packs that he gave us. You eat too much biddy." Kiba said as he patted the dog's head. Akamaru just growled out something, which Kiba just ignored.

Hinata just laughed lightly, "Akamaru, you know Kiba's just kidding."

I was now dark, and the tired team finally approached the large wooden gates of Grey Village. On each side of the gates were two guards. Kakashi approached the guards, showing them the passes and papers given to them for the mission, and they just looked at each other before letting the team enter into the village.

"I see that this village lives up to their name." Sai said. The rest seemed to agree as one of the guards let them to the police station held in the towns center. The village's floor was completely covered with grey gravel, and all the buildings were all in the same shade of grey as the ground. It was really strange to see that the citizens were completely opposite though. The people themselves were like walking rainbows. They would stare at them and maybe smile, well the guys would to Sakura. Luckily for her, they all backed away from the intense glares they received from the rest of the team. Others gave comments like, "Who the hell are you?", and some people, mainly the girls, practically drooled over the newcomers.

"What the hell's up with the freaks in this place?" Naruto whispered to his teammates, but the all shrugged.

"This town creeps me out." Sakura said. Naruto nodded his head in agreement.

"Here we are." The guard said, bringing the tea's attention toward an old grey building. With that the guard walked straight back to his post.

"Ummm, Kakashi-sensei?" Sakura asked as they went in the police station.

"Hmmm?"

"Isn't this suppose to be something like an undercover mission or something? We can't just waltz right in the village."

"She's right. We should just set up fireworks and ask the people who have the document to trade it with one of ours." Sai said sarcastically.

"Well, I see that someone's been studying how to be sarcastic." Kakashi said before and old man in his late sixties came up to the group.

"I'm glad you've come." He said. "My name is Kaijo. I'm the one who asked for your assistance."

Kakshi merely shook his hand and Kaijo led them toward the briefing room. It was just the that the team noticed no one else was in the building.

_"What the heck?"_ They all thought. The room was a little uncomfortably small, but was a good place to discuss classified information.

"Well then." Kaijo began, "It seems that the ones who were causing this whole problem just left recently."

"What!" Half the team blurted out.

"It only took us a day to get here!" Naruto said.

"Well, maybe we should of asked you assistance a while ago."

"Exactly how long were these rouge ninja causing problems?" Neji asked.

"Lets see." Kaijo said while searching through his memories. "I'd say about…Three years."

"Say what!" Naruto yelled out while the other's just kept their surprise to themselves. "Why didn't you ask for help sooner?"

"Well, it's not good to let the countries around here know that our village is so weak that we couldn't handle some low rank rogue ninjas. Just recently we made an alliance with Konoha' hokage, but by then, I guess the rogues decided to just leave." Kaijo said. Everyone just looked confused.

"I think we should just stay here for a couple of days just incase they might come back." Kakashi said.

"Oh, ummm, very well thank you." Kaijo said. "Well in that case, you youngsters need a place to stay in, right." They nodded. "Here, there's a hotel nearby. You can stay there, on me."

"Oh, that not nece-" Sakura began.

"No, no. It's what I can do for you traveling this far."

Kaijo walked them to the door and the team left to the hotel as Kaijo called the hotel services.

"Why did you suggest that we stay?" Sasuke asked.

"Well, to put it simple, if we do something, Kaijo won't ask for a refund, we might somehow complete the mission, Tsunade-sama won't kills us immediately, and I'm damn tired." Kakashi answered. Everyone just found reasoning in his short explanation.

"I knew this was too easy."

As they entered the hotel, the clerk behind the counter called out, "Welcome to Grey Village."

"We need six rooms." Kakashi said. "Kaijo maybe called in."

The clerk looked in a book with some note written on it and the checked the borad behind him that held the room keys.

"Umm, well sorry sir but Kaijo only made reservations for three rooms."

"That's fine. We can share." The clerk handed the keys to the rooms to the jounin as the went through a hallway toward their right.

"I don't trust that guy." Neji said.

"Who, the clerk?" Sakura asked.

"Hn, and Kaijo as well."

"I agree." Sasuke said. "They're too suspicious and calm."

"Hn." Neji agreed.

When they go to their rooms, they found that the rooms were luckily right next to each other.

"Ok, now for the sleeping arrangements." Kakashi began. "Um, Sakura, you can stay with Sai. Naruto with Neji, and Sasuke with me." _"This way no one will kill each other." _He thought.

As they entered their rooms they found each one surprisingly cozy. There were twin beds, along with one bathroom, carpeted floors and a small balcony that gave a good view to a park next door.

"Wow." Both Sakura and Sai said.

"This is awesome!" Naruto said jumping onto the bed nearest to the door.

"We should really dis-" But Neji stopped himself when he saw that Naruto was already asleep.

"Kakashi laid don in bed reading his favorite book while Sasuke stood outside on the balcony, with a light jacket on. After a couple of minutes Sasuke said, "I'm going to go on a walk." Before Kakashi could say anything, he was already gone. _"I'm sure that he won't do anything stupid." _Kakashi thought as got his pack and took out a new volume of Come Come Paradise.

"Hey hag, are you going to sleep yet?" Sai asked the kunzite sitting on her bed looking out the balcony. Sakura smiled at him before giving a small, but painful tap, on the head.

"I'm going to go for a walk, I can't sleep just now." Sakura said before opening the door.

"Don't kill anyone, there were too many people who witnessed us with an ugly hag like you." Sai said. Sakura just gave him a smile before leaving the room.

At the park on a tree branch, Sasuke just sat there trying to figure out what was really going on, until he heard someone walking by. The person had a high chakra reading. By instinct he armed himself with a kunai. When The person was close enough, Sasuke immediately caught the person off guard pinning the person on the tree with the kunai only a millimeter away from the neck.

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**Next time**: "S-Sasuke-kun?"…"We were just talking Neji."…"Hinata, did tsunade say that there would actually be rogue ninjas coming?"

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**AN**: I so damn sorry my updates came so late…I'll try and stop that…Well, I finally got used to my new comp, well labtop, but the same diff, right? Well the mouse suck balls though….Thx for reading!


	8. This Again

-AN: I don't own Naruto….sadly…

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**Chapter 6 - This Again?…**

"S-Sasuke-kun?" Sakura stuttered out, nervous from the kunai close to her neck.

"Sakura?" Sasuke quickly released his teammate and backed away a little. "Sorry."

"No, it's ok." Sakura said trying to stop her heart from beating so fast. _"Holy shit, what the hell's his problem?" _She thought. "Ummm, Sasuke-kun, why are you here?"

"I should be asking the same thing. Why aren't you in bed?"

"I couldn't sleep." Sakura said. There was a bench not too far from the two and she suggested that they could just sit and talk there. Sasuke surprisingly agreed and the two sat down on the wooden bench. The wind picked up, and the moon shown brightly in the night sky.

"This place's is strange isn't it?" She asked.

"Hn. No one here can be trusted."

"I agree. How can these people be so calm when rogue ninjas, that screwed this place over for three years be gone?" _"Tsunade-sama, if this was just a decoy mission, it's too obvious." _She thought.

"I'll probably be put into probation once we get to the village." He said. "But then, if they do that, I can't get stronger or go on missions. So what can I do? Why the hell did they send us on a mission that was obviously set up!" Sasuke said, gripping the edge of the bench.

"Sasuke-kun…Maybe the mission isn't about being completed." She suggested. Sasuke just looked at her with a blank expression. "It's probably how you carry it out."

"Either way, that won't give Tsunade enough to leave me alone."

"Maybe." She began. He just stared at her. "But, whatever happens, just know that you will eventually gain the other's trust, plus, me, Naruto, Kakashi-san,…Sai, and even Neji will be there to help you." She said smiling at him.

"Hmph, Hyuuga? Doubt that." Sasuke spat out.

"…" Sakura just looked at the ground.

"What is he to you anyways?" Sasuke asked, voice a little lower than usual.

"Huh? Neji?"

"Who else."

"Well…He's just a close friend…ummm, like Naruto."

_"Like Naruto? Damn that's close." _Sasuke thought. "Since when?" He asked.

"Since, since…" she began. Sasuke looked intently in her eyes. "Since you left us." She finished. Sasuke flinched slightly.

"Oh…"

"He helped me and Naruto cheer up a lot of times. He and all the others helped us." She said softly before another small gust of wind past by, making her shiver slightly. She rubbed each arm with her hands to try and keep warm. Seeing this, Sasuke took off his jacket and handed it to Sakura.

"Here, put this on."

"But Sasuke-kun-"

"Just put it on before you get a cold." He said, cutting off the blushing teammate.

She took the jacket from Sasuke and put it on. "Thanks Sasuke-kun." She said, no longer shivering.

"You should've worn something warmer than just a shirt and a skirt with short pants, especially at night."

She just looked away as she blushed slightly. _"Is he concerned about me?" _

"Umm Sasuke-kun?"

"Yeah."

"The day that you left Konoha, what did you mean when you said 'Thank You'?"

At this, Sasuke got stiff. He could barely remember that moment he said thanks to the kunoichi. What did he mean when he said 'Thank You'?

"Umm, I…I…" Sasuke began. _"Aww screw it, might as well tell the truth."_ "I, have no idea." Sakura just looked down to the floor again.

"Oh…So it was just a spur of the moment kind of thing?" She asked sadly.

"_Fuck, I made her sad again."_ He thought. "No, I don't think so." Sakura looked up to him. "I think it was because, from the things you said, I guess I was just thanking you for trying to stop me."

"….What do you mean?"

"Only you and Naruto actually somewhat understood me. Since my clan's massacre, I didn't know how it was like to have a family again, until you, Naruto, and Kakashi came into my life."

"Sasuke-kun…" She said as she placed her hand on her shoulder. _"He never opened up before." _She thought.

"But even though I found a new family, I can't forget the one I lost, and one of them is responsible for it."

"And that's why you left…To kill Itachi."

"I had to. I have to avenge them. I need to take revenge."

"I told you, revenge won't help anyone."

"I know, but I have to do it."

"Revenge will only hurt you, and everyone else. It will hurt your family." Sakura began to feel tears in her eyes. _"Aw no. I'm starting to cry." _she thought.

"Sakura." Sasuke said as he saw the streams of tears beginning to fall.

"You're probably going to leave again, huh?" She took her hand from his shoulder and started to wipe the tears away.

"No. I won't leave the village twice."

Sakura looked at him, seeing if he was lying. "R-really?…How can I be sure?"

Sasuke just closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "Can you take my word, that I won't ever leave the family I have in Konoha?" _"Like hell if she's just going to trust my word." _He thought.

"Is that your way of the ninja?"

"What?" He asked with a brow raised.

"Like Naruto, will you keep your word as your way of the ninja?"

Sasuke remembered his blond teammate yelling out his way of the ninja multiple times, in his days in Konoha.

"You would trust me, just like that?"

"I said this before, you're more than a friend Sasuke-kun." she smiled at him. "So do you promise?"

He didn't know what to say, he was too overwhelmed with something he didn't feel for a heck of a long time. _"How the heck could she just trust him so easily!"_

"Sasuke-kun?" She asked a little worried. He seemed to be contemplating something for a couple minutes now. "What's wro-" but was cut off when Sasuke hugged her. Sakura turned bright red as Sasuke kept her in his embrace. Sakura was caught completely off guard. "Sss-sasuke-kun-" _"Oh my god! He's actually, he's, he's,…Now way can this real…But this is actually happening!…"_

"I promise." He said after a short while. Sakura was at lost for words. Was this even happening? She couldn't believe it. Sasuke was holding her for the second time. The night grew cold to a point that the two could see their own breaths in the air.

"Sasuke-kun…" She said as she smiled, tears still falling, but for a different reason. Sasuke released her afterwards. The left side of his shirt was wet, but he didn't care. Sakura muttered a quick 'sorry' as she stood up from the bench, Sasuke did the same.

"I think it's time we get some sleep huh?" She said.

"Hn." The two walked back toward the hotel. Sakura started to shiver again, and even Sasuke felt a little cold himself. Unconsciously, Sakura neared Sasuke until their hands touched. Both of the flinched away from each other at the same time.

"G-gomen Sasuke-kun." Sakura stuttered embarrassed, blushing once more. She shivered a bit again. Sasuke just grunted as he put an arm around her shoulder, as he placed his other hand in his pocket. "Sasuke-kun!" She asked shocked.

He just remained silent as he continued to move on, bringing Sakura to do the same.

"_Dear kami!" _Sakura thought. Sakura no longer felt cold, in fact she was almost sweating. Strange enough, Sasuke felt the same. When they reached their rooms, Sasuke entered his room first, which was closest. A quick 'bye' and he was gone. Sakura continued down the hall, feeling as light as air. But when she turned a corner in the short hall, she felt like a boulder when she saw a certain someone in front of her room. She didn't know why she felt that way as Neji stood their leaning on her door, with his arms crossed.

"Neji?" Sakura asked.

Near the gates of the village, Hinata deactivated her byakugen. She looked away from Kiba with a slight blush.

"So what happened Hinata? What was Sasuke doing in the park?" Kiba asked a little bored as he laid on a bench with Akamaru laying on the floor beside him.

"Ummm, uhhh…He's just doing some things, but he already left for the hotel." Hanata explained. _"Oh my god! Does Naruto-kun know about this!"_

"That's it? What a boring guy." Kiba said aloud scratching Akamaru's head.

Neji pushed himself off the door as Sakura walked toward him.

"Why were you out so late?" He asked.

"Just going on a walk. I couldn't sleep." Sakura said passively.

"I see, so you were accompanied by Sasuke on your outing?"

"We were just talking Neji."

"Hn…Right."

"What's up with you guys? I thought you two stopped this crap back in the forest…And why the heck do you keep watching us?" She asked putting an arm on her hip, a clear sign of frustration.

"I don't watch you guys. Sai told me he saw Sasuke head out to the park, then you went the same direction afterwards."

"And how did you get Sai to tell you that?" Sakura asked, tapping her foot slightly. _"What a freaken stocker. Damn, what the heck is wrong with him?…Well at least he doesn't listen in on our conversations, I hate that kind of shit the most." _She thought.

"I went to your room to see if you wanted to talk, Sai just blurted everything out when he opened the door."

_"Damnit Sai." _She sighed. "Neji…" She shook her head downward. There was silence between them.

"I going to go to be-" Neji began after a minute, but then stopped as he heard someone from behind the door. Both Sakura and Neji turned their attention to the door in front of them to hear two people arguing. It soon grew louder and the door busted open as Sai flew out of the room. Neji pushed Sakura out of the way as he dodged their teammate. Sai landed against the wall and rubbed his swollen cheek. Neji and Sakura stared at their teammate as he stood up. Naruto soon entered the hall as he pointed a finger at Sai yelling, "Damn you gay bastard! They found us out cause of you!"

"Oh yeah, and you yelling, along with punching me out the door didn't do anything what so ever." Sai said as he just smiled at Sakura's twitching face.

"Uh, Sakura-chan?" Naruto asked, "Heh, heh, we were uhhh…We didn't mean to listen in on you guys…" Neji followed his instincts as he said something to Sakura and left to his room. Naruto could of sworn that he said 'good luck' and he passed by both him and Sai. Naruto and Sai watched as Neji walked faster than usual to his room. _"What's with him?" _They both thought. When the both turned around, they each met with a fist in the face.

"Ever spy on us again, and Kakashi won't be the only one to cover his face with a mask!" She yelled as she went into her room.

Naruto and Sai laid on the floor unmoving. "Sai you know what?" Naruto asked.

"What?"

"This is still all your fault."

"Shut up dickless…"

At the gates both Hinata and Kiba decided to camp outside of the village. As they found a clearing in the forest near a river. Hinata was about to set out camp, but before she could unpack, Akamaru barked up something and immediately Kiba threw their gear into the bushes, while grabbing a surprised Hinata, with Akamaru by his side. He muttered a quick 'hold your breath' to the two before diving into the river. With some bamboo that grew nearby the shore, all three of the used it to breath as a couple of nins came by.

They stopped at the river to wash their faces. Luckily it was dark, which gave the three Konoha shinobi some good coverage. _"Ah, why the hell did they have to stop by right in our spot!" _Kiba thought in frustration. The rogue nin began to converse, which was a cue for Hinata to activate her byakugan. From what she saw there were four of them. By reading their lips she understood every word they spoke.

"So we're meeting him here?" On nin asked.

"Yeah, and remember not to piss the guy off. He is from Akatsuki." another nin answered. At this, Hinata's eyes widened. _"A-akatsuki!" _She thought. She remembered the time Naruto warned her of the notorious S-class nins that were after him. Soon after, she felt an very powerful chakra signature approaching. _"Crap." _She thought. She knew both Kiba and Akamaru felt the approaching nin as well when they both flinched.

"So you're here." a nin said to the Akatsuki member.

Hinata saw that the S-class nin was a young man with blond hair, and had it like the way Ino kept it. He had some kind of mechanical eye patch over his eye, and what made Hinata uneasy was that there was a mouth in the palm of his hand. _"What the-!"_ She thought.

"Lets get straight to business, yeah." Deidara said to the four other nins. "Use Grey Village's alliance with Konoha to get this information to our spy there, yeah." The blond said handing him a green scroll.

"Hai." The four chorused.

"Hurry up, yeah." As soon as that was said the four vanished into the forest. Deidara soon left in a cloud of smoke. Hinata, Kiba, and Akamaru got out of the water slowly and went to where their supplies were stashed. Hinata was shaking badly.

"You ok?" Kiba asked.

"H-hai." she answered back.

Kiba sat down as he put his hands over his face. "Damn." he said, patting Akamaru's dripping head. "Hinata, did Tsunade-sama say that there would actually be rogue ninjas coming?"

She shook her head. "Hey are you catching a cold? You're shaking a lot."

"No, I-I'm fine." She said reassuringly. Kiba just let it pass as he went to change into new clothes. Hinata just stood there, as Akamaru laid down on the ground. What made Hinata so shook up was that, while the byakugan was still activated, she could of sworn that the Akatsuki member looked straight at her and smirked as he mouthed a 'Hi'.

_"I need to warn Naruto-kun and Sakura-chan!" _She thought.

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**Next Time**: "Kakashi-san! It's the Akatsuki!"…"Naruto! Where's Sasuke-kun!"…"So you're Sasuke, yeah. It'll be fun to takeout Itachi-san's brother, yeah."

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**AN**: Sry I couldn't turn this chapter in sooner. I got…..lazy….hehe…well thanx for reading! (running from crazy ppl with kunais)


	9. Two Brothers’ Quarrel

-**AN**: I don't own Naruto.

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**Chapter 7 - Two Brothers' Quarrel…**

Naruto, Sakura, Neji, and Sai woke up the next morning. They all met up in the hotel's lobby to see Kakashi and Sasuke already there.

"Morning everyone." Kakashi greeted the team.

"Morning." They all said back.

"What's for breakfast?" Naruto asked eagerly. "What about ramen!"

Everyone let out a sigh. "Whatever." Sasuke said, as they exited the building.

As they went out, they were reminded of the strange town they were in.

"This place's still freaky." Sakura said, seeing the single colored buildings. Kakashi took out his Icha Icha Paradise and stood there reading.

Hinata and Kiba were hiding on a rooftop watching the group. They had to get Kakashi alone somehow.

Akamaru barked something to Kiba as he approached the two. "Yeah, yeah, I know buddy. But how do we get the pervert's attention?"

"That's it!" Hinata said aloud.

"What is it?" Kiba asked confused, but Hinata was already gone.

As Naruto and the rest were looking for a ramen shack, Kakashi, with his trained eyes, spotted a poster with 'BIG SALE! ICHA ICHA PARADISE 50 OFF!' written on it.

"Hey you guys go on, I'm going to go look around for a bit." Kakashi said before taking off to who knows where. Everyone just raised a brow, but then shrugged it off, finding that this was Kakashi they were questioning.

Kakashi waited until the team was far enough before he looked up onto the rooftop.

"Yo, you three can come down now." As soon as Kakashi said that, Hinata, Kiba, and Akamaru leaped down. He gave the badly drawn poster back to Hinata.Hinata turned red as she ripped it in half and crumbled it.

"I see that you learned how to get my attention from Naruto and Sakura." Hinata just gave a small smile, as she blushed slightly. Kiba just coughed out a 'pervert', but Kakashi ignored it. "So what's wrong?" Kakashi asked as he put his book away.

"Kakashi-san! It's the Akatsuki!" The two said automatically. Akamaru barked as well.

Kakashi turned serious immediately. "What are they up to?"

"They're going to use Grey Village's alliance with Konoha to get some information to their spy." Kiba explained quickly.

"Hm." Kakashi thought for a second.

"Is this part of the original plan?" Hinata asked.

"No, but now we should cancel Sasuke's test and get back home now." Kakashi ordered.

"Hai!" Hinata and Kiba chorused.

"You two go on ahead. I'll get the rest. Now go!" With that the two left along with the nin dog, as Kakashi set out to find his teammates.

"This ramen sucks!" Naruto yelled out.

"This tastes like…" Sai began.

"Stop being asses you two." Sakura said to the two, as she saw that the chef was giving them death glares.

"Ah, there you go. This tastes like ass." Sai said. Naruto agreed and they high-fived each other. Sakura just let out a sigh as the chef snapped his chopsticks in half.

Neji and Sasuke, the smart ones, didn't even order ramen. _"Thank kami for that." _They both thought. Sakura didn't want to eat in general. _"This village sucks." _she thought.

Kakashi then appeared out of nowhere next to the group's table.

"We have to go home now." Kakashi said seriously. Everyone was confused.

"What's wrong?" Sasuke and the rest asked.

"Enemies heading to Konoha, let's go now. I'll brief you more on the way."

Everyone paid for their food and sprinted off out of the village.

"What about the mission?" Naruto asked as they jumped the gates, the guards not doing anything to stop them.

"Already informed Kaijo. Everything's settled." Kakashi answered briefly. On the way back home he explained the situation at hand. Everyone seemed baffled that an Akatsuki member, the one to capture Gaara no less, was only minutes away from them that night. Sasuke remained silent as he clenched his teeth. _"Sasuke-kun?…" _Sakura thought as she looked at his back. Neji saw Sakura looking at Sasuke, and it made him sick. Sai simply watched the love triangle in the background, while the other half of the team were preoccupied with what was happening in Konoha.

"Hinata, let's hurry it up!" Kiba said from the front of the group. Hinata was getting tired from the lack of sleep.

"Ok-aaaayyy!" Hinata said as Akamaru came up from under her, and let her ride on his back. "Akamaru!" The nin dog merely barked and Hinata scratched the back of his ears giving him a 'thanks'.

"Alright let's go!" Kiba said as he ate a soldier pill. He tossed one in Akamaru's mouth too and the two quickened their pace.

"Ok men! Now that everyone's ready, time to give this damn village a message from Orochimaru!" A sound nin called out. The forest was filled with cheers and sounding of unsheathed weapons. "But before that, the spy in Konoha has to give us the sign, that the Akatsuki themselves, came up with." Again, cheers were heard.

Naruto and the rest were now half way home, and they were determined to get home before nightfall. But as fate would have it, the Akatsuki had other plans. The team stopped when they felt three very large chakra signatures approaching them quickly.

_"Shit!" _they all thought as Deidara and Kisame stood in front of them. The two S-class nins both had smirks on their faces.

"And without further introductions, yeah." Deidara called out as he sent out a couple of small clay birds, that flew straight at them. Kisame slammed the ground with his giant sword, causing fissures to from on the ground under them. As Naruto and the rest fought the two Akakuki nins, Sasuke headed another direction. _"He's here I know it!" _He thought as he came into a clearing. He stood there activating his sharingan, as he faced the same pair of blood red eyes. There, right in front of him, was his brother.

"Naruto! Where's Sasuke-kun!" Sakura yelled as she dodged a swing from Kisame's sword.

Naruto looked around. "Damn it teme!" He yelled as his fist made contact with Deidara's right cheek.

"Did he abandon us?" Sai asked as he took out a clean scroll from his holster.

"No. He's fighting an Akatsuki member alone." Neji said, with his byakugan activated. A small barrage of clay figures came straight at him out of nowhere.

"Neji! Heads up!" Kakashi yelled. He saw the clay bombs approaching him and immediately used his Kaiten to defend himself.

"Itachi!" Sasuke yelled as he thrust his sword into empty air. Itachi appeared behind him as he used the katon fire jutsu. Sasuke was able to dodge the fireball as he backed away a little. _"Kuso!" _He thought as he charged forward.

Kisame swung his sword again, aiming for Kakashi. He jumped backwards, but fell into a trap as Deidara released a small clay animal straight at him. Kakashi was able to avoid most of the explosion, but he was burnt badly on his left arm.

"Kakashi-san!" Sakura called out from the other side of the fight. Naruto and his clones surrounded the shark nin as they all came at him at once. Sai's ink tigers pounced at Kisame as well. Neji tried his best to help Kakashi, but Deidara wouldn't give him the chance.

_"How the hell are two of them stopping all of us!" _Sakura thought as she went to aid her former teacher. Sakura stopped right next to the injured nin as Deidara targeted them from above on his large flying clay bird. Neji, seeing this, threw a couple of kunai straight at him. He dodged the flying projectiles, as Neji ran up a tree nearby, and leaped off from the top. He was right next to the Akatsuki member before using his gentle fist technique in mid air. Sakura started to heal the burn as she stopped to see the situation they were unfortunately in. Naruto and Sai were fighting Kisame, while Neji was keeping Deidara occupied for the moment. _"Where the fuck is Sasuke-kun!" _She thought as she finished healing Kakashi's arm. Nearby a huge explosion, erupted the forest. _"What the?" _Naruto and the rest thought as they continued to fight.

"Sakura." Kakashi said before the kunoichi could take off to help her comrades. "Get Naruto and go help Sasuke now!" He ordered.

"But-" Kakashi gave her a stern look.

"Go Sakura…Be careful." He said before disappearing into the battle.

"Got it." She muttered to herself before rushing off to look for her teammate.

Naruto was pushed back by Kisame's sword as it absorbed some of his chakra.

"Kuso." Naruto said as he wiped some blood on the corner of his lips. Before he could launch himself again into battle, Sakura grabbed his arm, stopping him. "Sakura-chan?"

"Kakashi said for us to help Sasuke-kun, now!" She said. Naruto looked at the battle in front of them.

"We got it, don't worry." Sai called out before dodging another swing from Kisame's sword. Naruto took a deep breath before nodding. The two then set off towards the explosion.

"Sorry, can't let you two go, yeah." Deidara said as he appeared in front of them.

"Shit!" They both muttered out as they charged straight at him, but before they could touch the Akatsuki member, a wall of chakra blasted him to the side, knocking him against a tree.

"Neji?" Sakura said before Neji stood in front of them.

"Stop wasting time and help Sasuke!" He said as he charged at Deidara again, Kakashi following suit. _"Neji." _Sakura thought before looking at Naruto with a concerned look on her face.

Both Naruto and Sakura muttered a 'thanks' before heading toward the explosion again. _"Please everyone be okay when we get back." _Naruto wished as he and Sakura disappeared behind some trees.

"This is it?" Itachi said as Sasuke picked himself off the ground.

"Shut up. This isn't half of what I can do!" He yelled out as he summoned some snakes. Each snake, about twenty feet long charged at Itachi, fangs extended.

"Hn." Itachi muttered as he cut down each one quickly. As he sliced the last snake in half, he saw Sasuke charging at him with his sword. Looking carefully with his sharingan, Itachi saw that the chidori was surrounding the blade.

_"How annoying."_ he thought, as he dodged the blade and executed a kick in Sasuke's abdomen. Before flying backwards Sasuke dropped some pieces of paper at Itachi's feet. Sasuke flew back and hit against a tree, as he coughed out some blood. He looked up at Itachi with a smirk. Before Itachi knew it, the explosion tags below him blew up, sending Itachi back a little. Only the tips and ends of his robe were scorched as the rest of him was untouched. _"Fuck." _Sasuke thought as he stood up again. Itachi then decided to stop playing around. He closed his eyes, and opened them again slowly. Seeing that his brother was activating his mandekyou, Sasuke immediately looked away from his eyes.

"Still didn't get these eyes yet? How foolish." Itachi said before disappearing.

Sasuke stood in place as he concentrated on finding his brother. Before Sasuke knew it, Itachi stood right behind him with a kunai to the neck. Sasuke stood frozen at the spot. _"So fast."_ He thought, as the blade's edge cut his neck slightly. Sending a small trail of blood down his neck.

"You're still too weak. What were you doing all this time with that snake?" Itachi asked. Sasuke only clenched his teeth in anger. "Hn, you still lack hatred." Itachi whispered. That did it. Sasuke snapped. Before Itachi could slice his brother's throat, Sasuke used the chidori to surround his body at full blast, sending the elder Uchiha back onto the ground.

"Lack hatred!" Sasuke yelled in full rage, as Itachi stood up, still keeping his emotionless face. "The only thing I ever do is hate the living shit out of you!"

Itachi still didn't show any sign of emotion, but Sasuke could tell that the elder Uchiha wasn't convinced.

"Hn? Then why haven't you achieved your full potential?" Itachi asked.

"What!" Sasuke said as he clenched his fists tight.

"You still don't have these eyes. You continue to let you emotions take over you capabilities as an avenger."

"Shut up!" Sasuke yelled, but at that moment Itachi appeared in front of him. Sasuke accidentally looked into his brother's eyes. He looked away as quickly as he could before Itachi delivered a fierce punch, Sasuke was barely able to blocked it. Sasuke slid back a couple of feet, arms still in a defending position when he stopped. Sasuke immediately did some hand signs as he fired his katon fireball straight at the elder Uchiha. Itachi backed away from the flames, but Sasuke stopped him when he kicked his brother's back. Itachi shot forwards back onto the scorched ground. He spun around and landed on his feet as he stared at Sasuke. Then out of nowhere another Itachi appeared behind him.

_"What the!" _He thought as he saw that Itachi was behind, and in front of him. Even with his sharingan he couldn't tell which ones which. The Itachi behind him grabbed both his arms, and the ground seemed to trapped his feet. _"Genjutsu!" _Sasuke thought, as he remembered the small instant he looked into Itachi's eyes.

The real Itachi walked forwards slowly as he stopped a couple of meters away, he slipped a kunai into his hand as he looked at his brother struggling to get free.

"You're holding back, or you're just weak. I can't tell which. Maybe there's something that keeps you from where you're suppose to be." Itachi said.

Sasuke breathed heavily when he found that he couldn't break out of the genjutsu. _"Am I going to die like this!" _He thought. _"No…Not without bring him with me!" _Sasuke once more started to concentrate his chakra, but it was no use. The genjutsu was too strong. Itachi threw the kunai straight at his heart. From Sasuke's eyes it came in slow motion. He thought, he was going to die without avenging his clan, he couldn't ever go home with his friends again….His friends, Naruto, Sakura, Kakashi… The kunai was only inches away before Sasuke was pushed aside by what he could describe, an orange blur. At the same time Sakura got a fist full of chakra as she aimed for Itachi. He dodged quickly as Sakura broke through the ground in sheer force. The ground below her rippled and cracked into many deep fissures. She pulled her fist out of the floor before looking straight at the elder Uchiha. She avoided his eyes by instinct, and got herself in a fighting stance. Naruto moved Sasuke out of the clearing and away from the battle, in a safe distance. _"Shit, he's still caught in the genjutsu."_ Naruto thought.

_"I see that someone's made an improvement of themselves." _Itachi thought as he viewed the demolition in front of him.

Sasuke was still in shock of what had just happened, as he laid on the floor, dazed.

"Wake up teme!" Naruto yelled, but Sasuke seemed to still be trapped in the genjutsu. Naruto punch him in the face. Sasuke closed his eyes and shook his head. Everything seemed to be clear again.

"Naruto?" He said as he stood up rubbing his eyes. Then suddenly, "Itachi!" He yelled as he sprinted towards his brother. Naruto caught up with him.

"Stay out of my way Naruto!" Sasuke yelled, as he ran faster.

Naruto caught up to him again, "No way teme! We're a team, remember!"

"That was a long time ago! Team 7 died the day I left!"

"What the fuck's wrong with you?" Naruto yelled as he swung a punch at the raven haired nin. Sasuke dodged it, and stopped.

"This is my revenge! It doesn't concern you!"

"How can you say that!" Naruto growled out. "Do you know what the fuck we went through for you?"

"I've heard that so many god damned times before, and really, I don't give a shit."

Naruto's eyes widened, he clenched his fists tight till his knuckles turned white.

"So, this whole time you were in Konoha, it was all an act?"

"….."

"The things you said to Sakura, all a big fat lie huh?"

"What things?"

"Fucken-A teme! The world has ears! Why are you like this? Is it your brother? Is he why? Is it only him?…He wanted to make your life miserable, right? Well he did a pretty damn good job with you, and with us."

"What do you mean with you guys?"

"Come on! Think teme, for once. He's after me remember? The damn kuubi! You don't know how much danger your brother put me, Sakura-chan, and everybody else in danger. We had a chance only because of Sai, and Neji's team."

Sasuke looked at him like he lost interest a long time ago.

"Well teme, it still doesn't matter. I'm still going to help, whether you like it or not. I bet it's the same with Sakura-chan and the others." Naruto said as he looked straight at Sasuke.

"Why do you guys always have to be involved in this?…" Sasuke whispered, as he looked down.

"What?" Naruto said, he didn't really catch what he said.

"Why do you guys have to be involved in this!…How many more people will I lose to that bastard!" Sasuke yelled.

"…."

Naruto was speechless.

"He's taking everything, every damn important thing! When I finally have something else, he's there, waiting to just crush it right in front of me…" Sasuke said, as he fell onto his knees, his hands gripping the grass.

"Well, do you know what teme. We're still here aren't we. It won't be that way teme, if you let us help you." Naruto said softly.

Sasuke looked up at him. Naruto extended his fist out.

"I will not let anything happen to my friends, and I won't die till I become hokage. This is my word as a ninja." Naruto promised. "And I never take back my word."

"…." Sasuke just looked down in thought, then he smirked. "Dobe."

"Come on, get you lazy ass off the floor, Sakura-chan's alone with that Itachi bastard!" Naruto yelled as he remembered his other teammate.

In that instant, Sasuke got off the ground. He and Naruto then sprinted off to help the medic nin.

_"Shit." _Neji thought as he was knocked back by Kisame's sword. Sai too, was knocked backwards as he landed next to Neji.

"Well this is going great." Sai said.

"Shut it Sai." Neji said as he was thinking of a strategy.

Kakashi was able to get Deidara off his bird, and against a tree. Kakashi was about to slit his throat with a kunai, but Deidara kneed him in the chest, sending him backwards. He landed next to Sai and Neji.

"What are we suppose to do?" Sai asked.

"I think we should take out one of them." Neji suggested.

"Who?"

"Kisame." Kakashi said.

"Ok, then the stupid one first, got it." Sai said as they all got themselves ready.

"Here's what we do." Neji began.

Sakura healed a deep gash on her leg, as she backed away from the Akatsuki member _"This is a skilled one." _Itachi thought.

_"He's so strong…" _Sakura thought as she tightened the glove on her right hand.

Itachi charged at her again. Sakura readied herself as the Akatsuki nin came closer. The two fought fist to fist. Kicks, were blocked by other kicks, and so on. Sakura did an three combo jab, but Itachi blocked every one of them. He then kicked straight at Sakura's chest sending her backwards against a tree. She slid down the tree, as a small trail of blood escaped the side of her lips. _"Why is he only using taijutsu?" _Sakura thought as Itachi stood there, watching as she got herself ready.

Itachi was about to charge again, but then both Naruto and Sasuke appeared next to the med nin.

"Sasuke-kun, Naruto?" Sakura said.

"You did enough Sakura." sasuke said, as he glared at his brother.

"Yeah, you're awesome Sakura-chan, but now you should rest." Naruto said.

"We'll be ok." Naruto gave her a thumbs up. Sakura smiled, and nodded as she got out of the battle. There Naruto and Sasuke readied themselves for the upcoming battle.

"Lets get this over with." Sasuke said as he and Naruto charged forward. Neji made a hole where Sai placed some of his ink animals into. Neji then disappeared as Kisame came by. Sai stood in front of the trap as Kisame came after him.

"Neji now!" Sai called out as Kisame swung his sword on the ground, right into the hole. Sai got his ink figures to keep the shark nin's sword into the ground, as Neji charged forward. Kisame tried to release his grip on the sword, but he found that Sai's ink animals wrapped around his hands to the sword. Neji ran up and stopped on the Akatsuki's sword as he used his 128 strike attack right on the shark nin. In the mean time Kakashi and Sai switched duties in distracting Deidara. As Kisame shot backward Kakashi quickly activated his chidori and blasted the shark nin when he came at him. The chidori pierced through the Akatsuki member. Deidara, finally saw what the leaf nins were up to, but it was too late, Kisame was already on the ground bleeding crazy.

_"Kuso." _Deidara thought as he got onto his flying clay bird. He quickly snatched his partner's body before flying high into the sky. He released a clay mouse from his hand and dropped it down to where Kakashi and the rest were.

"Nice seeing you, yeah." Deidara said.

"Shit." Sai said as he say the small figure falling from the sky.

"Get out now!" Neji called out.

"It's just a tiny-" Sai began.

"It has enough chakra to blow us all to hell, now move!" Neji called out as he got out of the way. Kakashi and Sai did the same, but the small bomb seemed to follow them.

"Shit." Kakashi said. He mustered whatever chakra he had left as he activated the mandekyou. Kakashi stopped as he concentrated his chakra.

"KAKASHI!" Neji and Sai called out.

"_Almost out of chakra." _Kakashi thought as he opened a portal to another dimension. On cue, the clay bomb exploded. Kakashi tried to hold the portal open, but his chakra quickly dried out, and only about half of the explosion was sealed.

"Kakashi-san!" Neji yelled out, but Sai knocked him away from the blast as he went to get Kakashi.

"Sai!" Neji said as he was knocked away from the blast.

When the smoke subsided. He went back to his teammates. He found Sai and Kakashi on the ground, with a large puddle of ink around them Sai made a wall of ink in the last minute, it saved their lives, but it didn't completely protect them. Kakashi was knocked out and the entire left side of Sai was burnt badly.

"Why?" Neji muttered as he approached the two.

"Shut it Hyuuga, and go help the others. That's where the Akatsuki guy went off to. Hurry up." Sai said, as he held his side in pain.

"I'll get Sakura here to help you guys."

"She'll be knocked out too if you don't freaken hurry, now move it." Sai said before giving one of his smiles.

Neji nodded as he raced off toward the others.

Naruto was currently being healed by Sakura, as Sasuke fought it out with his brother again, but this time every once in a while, Naruto would join in, or switch with him as Sakura healed their major wounds.

Sasuke was glad to see that Itachi was showing signs of fatigue. _"We might have a chance. With Naruto as back up, and Sakura as the medic, I think we could actually win." _Sasuke thought.

_"They're actually, pushing me back." _Itachi thought. Then he saw Sakura healing Naruto, before the leaf nin joined Sasuke on the other side of the feld. _"I'll just have to break the team up." _

Itachi then got a kunai and placed chakra into it. He put in just enough to surely give his victim critical damage, even with a medic's help. Sasuke came at him with his sword extended. Naruto charged forward as well. Itachi merely dodged them as he headed toward Sakura.

"Sakura-chan!" Naruto called out. Sakura was completely caught off guard as Itachi charged straight at her with inhuman speed , kunai in hand. Naruto and Sasuke chased after the elder Uchiha. Itachi Thrusted the kunai forward straight at the surprised kunoichi.

"Sakura!" Sasuke called out.

By instinct, Sakura defended herself with her arms crossed in front of her. Blood splattered onto her, but it wasn't hers. When Sakura felt no impact she looked up to find someone in front of her. The kunai pierced through his shoulder completely.

"NEJI!" Sakura cried out.

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**Next time: **"Why, why, did you…"…"Let's go home Sasuke-kun."…"They're going to be ok right?"…"I'm sorry Sakura."

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**AN:** So sry that this took so long! I had problems in coming up with events,but here they are now, yay!…..hehe…well yeah, thanx for reading!


	10. Characters Of Intimacy…

-**AN: I don't own Naruto.**

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**Previously: **"Sakura!" Sasuke called out.

By instinct, Sakura defended herself with her arms crossed in front of her. Blood splattered onto her, but it wasn't hers. When Sakura felt no impact she looked up to find someone in front of her. The kunai pierced through his shoulder completely.

"NEJI!" Sakura cried out.

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**Chapter 8 - Characters Of Intimacy… **

Neji spat out some blood as he tried his best to push Itachi off. Itachi swiftly retreated back, bloody kunai in hand. He glanced at the now injured jounin and the pink haired medic that's currently aiding him. Without another second he dodged to the right as Naruto swung his fist in pure anger.

"Bastard!" Naruto growled as he made some clones. Sasuke and the rest could tell Naruto was pissed beyond belief from the unmistakable red chakra forming around their teammate. Like before, his features turned animalistic, claws and all. Naruto and his clones came into another attack, along with Sasuke at his side.

Outside the battle, Sakura had tears on the brim of her eyes threatening to fall, as she tried her best to heal Neji.

"Why, why, did you…" Sakura began, stuttering a little. "Why Neji?" She said as one tear rolled down her cheek. Even with all her skill, she couldn't heal him completely. He needed a hospital, or at least somewhere more suitable to rest. She could hear the explosions and ground moving attacks, not so faraway. After a few minutes, she was able to fix some of the torn muscles, but whatever Itachi did to his kunai, Sakura was sure that she would need every bit of chakra she had to heal about half of the damage at the moment. But that would leave the rest of her team in danger too. What about Sai, Kakashi-san, and all the others? These thoughts ran through her head as she saw Naruto and Sasuke being thrown back by the elder Uchiha.

Seeing Sakura in her worried state, only got Sasuke even more pissed. Unconsciously the cursed seal was activated_. "I'll have to risk it for now." _He thought as he felt a new source of power course through his veins.

Two tails have already been out as Naruto formed the rasengan in his hand. Sasuke formed his chidori at the same time. The two then charged straight at the Akatsuki member. Itachi just had a bored look on his face as he saw the two approach them.

But before Naruto and Sasuke could plunge their attacks into Itachi, something blew up in front of them, causing the two to cancel their jutsus, as they flew back. Sasuke looked up to see, Deidara on his large flying clay bird. _"Shit." _He thought. _"We can't handle two of them." _

"_What happened to Sai and Kakashi-san!" _Naruto thought. _"Those bastards!" _

Deidara released more of his bombs, giving Itachi the chance to escape. As the bombs flew, Naruto fought hard to stop the kyuubi from taking over. Part of him wanted to bash Itachi and Deidara's skulls in, but another part of him wanted to move everyone to safety. As the bombs came closer he finally decided. Naruto returned to normal as he ran towards Sakura and Neji. Some of the bombs hit the ground, causing Naruto and the rest to shield their eyes. Sasuke stood there, and was contemplating on whether to go after his brother, or follow Naruto's example.

Naruto placed the injured Neji over his shoulder as he shielded Sakura from another blast of dirt caused from another of Deidara's bombs.

"Teme! What the fuck are you doing!" Naruto yelled as he saw Sasuke run into a cloud of dirt. "Damn it!…Sakura let's go, he'll be fine." he growled out as he and Sakura made a run for it, heading toward Kakashi and Sai. _"Teme, don't even think of ditching us, or dying, just to fight your brother!"_ Naruto thought.

"Sasuke-kun!" Sakura called out before following Naruto. _"Be careful." _She finished in her thoughts.

Sasuke ran forward and saw his brother standing there with a smirk on his face.

"Damn you Itachi." Sasuke growled out, as he took out his katana.

"You know you're too weak." Itachi said, as Deidara released some more bombs. The explosions took place and Sasuke shielded himself. As the dirt and debris stopped he lowered his arm, he defended himself with, to find Itachi gone.

"I'll find you once you become stronger, until then, little brother, until then." Itachi's voice echoed as the smoke subsided. Sasuke's cursed seal retreated back to its original location as he gritted his teeth, and clenched his fists.

"Itachi!" Sasuke yelled as he punched a nearby tree, knocking it down.

Naruto and Sakura finally reached the others as he laid Neji down gently next to Sai and Kakashi.

"Finally dickless, old hag, take any longer?" Sai joked as he coughed up some blood.

"Sai…" Sakura said, as she started to heal his burns. Kakashi seemed to be ok, just unconscious. As Sakura healed Sai major burns, she plopped down onto the floor exhausted.

"Almost out of chakra." Sakura said as Naruto gave her a worried look. Sasuke came soon afterwards. His eyes widened as he saw the other two of his teammates badly hurt.

"Everyone alive?" Sasuke asked. Naruto just looked athim before turning back toward Sakura and the rest.

"Yeah, so you did what you had to do when you ditched us back there?" Naruto asked, obviously a little pissed off.

"…..Hn." Sasuke said. He continued to look around, there were craters everywhere, and their portion of the landscape was utterly destroyed. From the look of the battle field, he felt bad that he left his teammates to two Akatsuki members as he pursued his brother. He stared out at the disaster in front of him, only imagining how his comrades were beaten.

Sakura gently placed her hand on Sasuke's shoulder, which brought him out of his thoughts.

"Let's go home Sasuke-kun." She said with a smile. Sasuke nodded as he went passed Naruto and lifted up Kakashi's unconscious form. Sakura was about to assist Neji, but Naruto stopped her.

"Sakura-chan, your too worn out. Here, I'll do it." Naruto said.

Sakura felt like she was useless, but she knew he was right. With a sigh, Sakura agreed as she stood up. Naruto gave her a grin as he made a clone. The clone slowly picked up Neji, as he picked up Sai.

"Let's go." Naruto said.

"Hn." Sasuke agreed.

"Right." Sakura said, as they headed off towards home.

In the forest near Konoha, Kiba, Hinata and Akamaru were quickening their pace.

"Where's Kakashi-san and the rest?" Hinata asked, as she deactivated her byakugen.

"They didn't catch-up?" Kiba asked surprised. Hinata shook her head.

"No matter, we have to hurry home, I can track the rogue nins' scent from here." Kiba said as he stopped and sniffed some of the branches of the trees. Akamaru doing the same. "Yeah, they should be in the village by now if they somehow got in."

A jounin knocked on the door of the hokage's office with a couple of nins behind him.

"Come in." Tsunade answered. The jounin and the others bowed as they entered the room. Shizune stood next to the desk, and held some scrolls as Tsunade stopped working on some of her late documents.

"They are from the Grey Village Hokage-sama, they wish to discuss some matters with you." The jounins said.

"Thank you Genma, I'll take it from here." Tsunade said as Genma walked out the room, and closed the door.

"What is it?" Tsunade asked the nins with a raised brow.

"Our village wished for you to keep this scroll under your watch for the time being." A nin said as he stepped forward and placed a medium sized scroll on her desk. Another nin stepped forward with a bag full of cash as payment.

"Alright. Who exactly are you keeping this scroll from?" Tsunade asked.

"Actually, we wanted you to deliver the scroll to…" The rogue nin began.

That very night, Kiba and Hinata informed Tsunade of the rogue nins and their plans, just before Shikamaru was about to be sent out to deliver the scroll. They checked to scroll that was given and found that it had a jutsu of some sort protecting it. Taking major precautions, Tsunade ordered that the scroll to be guarded and untouched, until they found a way to break the seal. Naruto and the others arrived late at night. Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke briefed in on the incident to Tsunade, while the other half of their team was sent to the emergency room.

"How is it that trouble always has something to do with you three?" Tsunade asked, taking a shot of her sake.

"Weird coincidence?" Naruto said. Everyone just let out a sigh.

"Baka." Sakura said.

"Dobe." Sasuke said right after.

Two nights later at the Konoha Hospital, were six injured shinobi each in their own rooms resting. Well it was suppose to be only three, but Tsunade was strict about keeping her nins in top health.

_"I wonder how the others are doing." _Naruto thought as he looked up at the plain white tilled ceiling. He let out a sigh, before turning over to his side trying to get the much needed rest he deserved. Just at that moment someone knocked on the door.

Sakura was sitting up from her bed when Shizune came into her room.

"Hello Sakura-chan, it's strange to see you in the bed instead of regular patients." Shizune said as she laid down some fresh bandages on the small table next to the pink-haired kunoichi. Sakura laughed lightly as Shizune checked some things on her clipboard.

"Umm, Shizune-chan." Sakura began. The older medic looked up from the clipboard towards her friend.

"Yes Sakura-chan?" Shizune asked.

"They're going to be ok right?" Sakura asked as she clenched her sheets slightly in her hands.

"Well you and Naruto-kun will be fine in the morning, but I'm afraid the others are much more serious. Kakashi-san the rest are stabilized, but Neji might be in some pain for a while." She finished.

"Can…Can I go check on them?" Sakura asked. "My chakra is replenished and I want to go see them." Sakura said.

Shizune thought for a moment, before nodding her head. "Just try not to give Tsunade-sama more reasons to drink herself crazy." Shizune told the pink haired medic as she stood up from the bed.

"I'll try. Thanks Shizune-san." Sakura thanked before exiting the room quietly.

Sakura was about to go into Naruto's room,but found it already occupied with another person. _"Yes, Hinata-chan and Naruto finally got some alone time, I'll just see him later then."_ Sakura thought with a smile, as she continued down the hall.

On both Sai's and Kakashi's doors, had a sign saying 'under deep medication', along with 'do not disturb'. So Sakura just continued down the halls and went down one floor to where Sasuke and Neji's rooms were located. She went to Sasuke's room first, which was closer, and softly knocked on the door. No reply came. She knocked again a little harder, but still no one answered. She waited a few seconds before opening the door.

"Sasuke-kun?" She whispered. The room was dark and cold. It seems that the window was open for a couple of hours now. Worried that her teammate might catch a cold she entered the room to close the window. It took only a couple of steps for Sakura to realize that no one was in the room.

"Could he have left?" Sakura asked herself. Then the memory of him promising her that he would stay on his word at the park only a couple of nights ago flashed in her mind. _"Nah, I shouldn't jump to conclusions. Sasuke-kun really promised on his word. I trust him….but where would he go?" _She thought as she looked around for clues. She looked at the small desk next to his bed. Nothing, she then checked his bed. She looked under the sheets then under the pillow. _"Bingo."_ She thought as she got a small piece of paper from under its hiding place. All the small note read was the word, 'training'. Sakura let out a frustrated sigh before throwing the small slip of paper into the trash. _"Is that all he ever does? Same old Sasuke-kun." _She thought angrily. She exited the room and closed the door behind her, before heading towards Neji's room.

The door merely had a 'keep quiet', and a 'please only nurses' signs which Sakura was happy to see. Two reasons were because first, he wasn't in that serious of a condition anymore, second, she was allowed to enter the room. Luckily she's a nurse in the hospital.

"Neji?" Sakura whispered, as she opened the door gently.

"Sakura?" Neji asked, sitting up from his bed. Seeing that he was awake Sakura entered the small room.

"Hey Neji, how are you doing?" She asked, walking up to his clipboard and checking his status.

"Fine." His entire top body, neck to waist, was in bandages and the hole in his shoulder seemed to still bleed, as the bandages around it was soaked red. "_Neji…." _She thought, but shook herself mentally as she noticed that she was staring at him .

"Anything hurts, more than usual?" She asked. He merely pointed at his wounded shoulder. Sakura walked up to the bed and pulled up a stool and then sat on it. Wordlessly, she unwrapped the bandage carefully and examined the wound.

_"Ouch." _Was all she thought when she saw the semi bloody gaping hole in his shoulder. Neji just stared intently at the medic. Sakura noticed this, but decided to keep things professional, until he got better.

"I can heal you a little to help with you getting out of here faster. I know you hate this place, but it will hurt a little. I suggest you take some of these pills." Sakura said as she reached into her medical bag she always took around with her, and took out a small pill case. She took out only one pill, which meant that it was a pretty strong drug, and handed it to Neji. He merely observed it for a second before swallowing it.

"Its affects should take control in about a minute or so, but it only lasts about ten minutes. It's a pain killer that numbs the body completely. It was made for on-the-go missions, that's why it takes affect for such a short time, incase enemy nins attack us. The side affects might just make you a little drowsy, or maybe, but rarely, you might be in a drugged state." Sakura explained as she gestured Neji to lie down. Neji looked at her with a raised brow. "Don't worry, the side affects aren't harmful, and they rarely happen." She assured him.

Neji couldn't fell his arms and leg after a couple of seconds, and the feeling generally moved it's way around his body. Sakura placed her hands above his injured shoulder before molding her chakra. After finding the major damages in the muscles and tissues around the wound, she began to slowly heal him. After about a couple of minutes of silence, Sakura couldn't help but feel a little uneasy under Neji's stare. He was staring at her the whole healing session and it made her a little uncomfortable. She stopped for a second to pull back some of her bangs that fell in front of her eyes, and pulled them back behind her ears before continuing healing Neji. Wanting to break the awkward silence, she decided to tell him the first reason why she wanted to visit him.

"Um, Neji?" She asked.

"Hn?" Neji mumbled.

"I, I just wanted to thank you for what you did, back there." Neji didn't say a word, but Sakura knew he was listening. "You could of died you know….Why did you….Do it? For me?" Sakura could feel her emotions fighting to take over. At the moment, she mentally kicked herself. He freaken saved her life, while almost losing his, and all she said was a thank you? At the moment, she wanted to hug the former human ice cube! But she was healing him at the moment, and force herself not to.

"Be-because." Neji said a little weakly. Sakura was a little shocked that he replied, as she continued to heal his shoulder. She wondered if the after affects of the pill was slurring his words, and messing with his head.

"I would…." He began. Then he seemed to try and concentrate on what he was about to say next. Sakura was sure that Neji was suffering from the after effects now. _"Not lucky I guess." _She thought, recalling that no one who took the pills so far had ever had the side effects affect them like this. She decided that she healed him enough for the night, as she got a clean set of bandages out from her medical bag, and professionally wrapped the injured shoulder. Unfortunately, it started to bleed a little again, and Sakura decided to continue healing it over the bandage.

"I would do anything….For you." Neji finished. Sakura stopped her healing jutsu as she stared straight into Neji's hypnotizing eyes, in disbelief. Did she hear him correctly?

"Wha-what?" She stuttered.

He placed the hand with the uninjured shoulder over Sakura's hand, that was hovering over his wound. She instantly blushed at the contact.

"I….I said that, I'd do anything for you…..Because y-your one of the most im-important people I ha-have in my l-life Sakura-chan." Neji said as he squeezed her hand gently. _"Sakura-chan!" _She thought, turning even redder. _"No, don't be stupid, he's hyped up on drugs, he doesn't know what he's talking about." _She tried to convince herself. But at the same time, she couldn't shake off truth. Deep down, she was liking the attention the Hyuuga prodigy was showing her at the very moment.

"It's the truth Sakura-chan, and I don't want you to be t-taken away from me, by anyone else." He stuttered a little as he tried to sit-up.

"N-neji, stay down, please." Sakura said in a worried tone. _"Kami knows what he'll do in this state."_ She thought. Neji didn't listen to her, as he sat up. He was now in eye level of the confused kunoichi.

"Sakura-chan." He said in a low soothing voice that sent shivers down her back. She wanted to back away from the uneasiness, but found that his hand was still around hers, holding her to the spot.

"Sakura-chan, I…" He said as he leaned in closer. _"What is he doing!" _Sakura thought as she could felt her heart beating faster as Neji leaned in closer. She couldn't move, she didn't know what to do. She was never in a situation like this. Unconsciously, she leaned in a little herself without her knowledge.

"Ne-neji, w-what are y-you…." but her words tailed off as her his lips was only about a centimeter away from his. They both could feel the shallow breaths taken by the other as they stared at each other in the eyes. She slowly stood up from the stool and was about to pull her hand back, but Neji didn't let her.

"I love you." He whispered against her lips, before descending upon what he secretly desired to claim his one day. Sakura's eyes widened as she was in a complete state of shock.

_"He just told me that he, WHAT!" _She thought. She always thought of him as a good friend, and a strong leader, but never had it crossed her mind that he could be her lover. She didn't know what to do, push him away, or just give into the emotions that she packed up in the dark corners of her heart years ago. She wanted to think things through, but she seemed to almost lose herself all of a sudden. Her knees felt weak as she sat back down onto the stool. Neji let go of her hand as he wrapped his arm around her waist, bringing her closer to him, and deepening the kiss. Sakura finally loosened up as she kissed him back with the sheer want that she was receiving from the Hyuuga prodigy. Neji slowly pushed Sakura onto his bed, her back facing the mattress, and her lips never leaving his. It seemed that the two put all of their lone desires and hidden emotions all into each other in this one intimate moment. Neji finally released her lips as he started to kiss the side of her neck. In the middle of this, Neji's head seemed to clear up, as the drug's effect started to ware off. Slowly but surely, he began to wonder what he was doing. All he knew was that it felt wonderful, it felt that his heart was taking a heavy burden away.

He then heard someone whisper his name. He opened his eyes and stopped what he was doing as he stared in shock on who he was currently sharing an intimate moment with.

"S-sakura!" He said in shock. Once that was said, Sakura seemed to wake up from the daze she seemed to be in. She then finally noticed she was laying on her back on Neji's bed with him almost on top of her.

"What the!" Sakura almost yelled as she accidentally/instinctively, thrust both of her palms straight at his chest, knocking him off the bed. Seeing what she did, she immediately got off the bed and assisted her comrade.

"Oh my god!" She said as she helped him onto the bed again. When she healed what more damage she caused to the injured jounin, she finally turned back to her old self. "Never will you take these pills ever again!" Sakura said as she got the pill case and safely packed them away in her bag. Neji seemed to still be in a state of shock. What had he said? He could remember a few things, but not as much as he wanted to remember. What was he doing that got him on top of her! Was the number one question in his mind. _"I'm a Hyuuga! How could I lose my self control so easily!"_ He thought.

_"How could I let him go that far!" _Sakura thought as she too was shocked beyond belief. _"He was drugged and I knew it, yet I…..Oh my god, I'm a freaken….dear kami what did we do! I'm only fifteen too!"_ She mentally beat the crap out of herself.

There was silence between them. None of them dared to break it so early. A couple of minutes later though, Neji had enough.

"I'm sorry Sakura." Neji said in apology. Sakura looked at him surprised, she should apologize too.

"Neji I-" But Neji cut her off before she could even finish.

"I dishonored your trust, and I violated our friendship; for that I'm sorry Sakura." Neji said shamefully.

"It's not your fault, it was the effect of the pill you took, it seems that you body is strangely vulnerable to the chemical. Your head was messed up and you didn't know what you were saying or doing. It's me who should be sorry, not you." Sakura said as she looked straight into his eyes.

_"What did I say to her?" _Neji thought, but was soon broken out of his thoughts when he noticed Sakura was about to cry. _"I endangered my friendship with Neji, just because I got caught up with my stupid emotions." _She thought sadly.

"Sakura-" Neji began.

"Please Neji, can we just say this never happened?" Sakura pleaded as she cut him off. "And go back like we were before all this?"

_"How can we just forget about this?" _Neji thought, but the last thing he wanted was for her to feel completely guilty for what happened. He nodded to her and she wiped the tears that threatened to fall away.

"Thank you Neji." She said before bringing the Hyuuga into a soft embrace. "Thank you." She whispered. Neji hugged her back and relished in the feeling, he loved it. He could only imagine how it felt when he was a little kissing Sakura, but as soon as that idea came to mind, he quickly dismissed the perverted thought.

The two were too caught up in their own little world, they didn't even notice someone knocking and opening the door. It was until someone said, "Sakura." That the two came back to reality and released each other.

"S-sasuke-kun!" Sakura said surprised. Sasuke seemed to ignore her as he came into a deadly glaring death match with the Neji.

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**Next Time: **"Sakura, what were you doing with Hyuuga?"…"Naruto, w-what should I do?"…"We found a large number of rogue nins near Konoha. They're after the scroll, and its contents. Tsunade-sama, what do you suggest we do?"

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**AN: **Hey! Hope ya like this chapter…..and yes I'm getting a little lazier these days, sry……Well at least I finished the chapter! It only cost me a couple of cramped fingers and a numb butt from being dumbass, and sitting on a semi-comfortable wooden chair. I may be dumb, but at least I'm stupid! LOL, well thx for reading!


	11. Unexpected outcomes…

-**AN: I don't own Naruto.**

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**Previously: **The two were too caught up in their own little world, they didn't even notice someone knocking and opening the door. It was until someone said, "Sakura." That the two came back to reality and released each other.

"S-sasuke-kun!" Sakura said surprised. Sasuke seemed to ignore her as he came into a deadly glaring death match with the Neji.

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**Chapter 9 - Unexpected outcomes….**

"Uh, thank you again Neji." Sakura said, heading toward the door. Neji broke of the glare match before looking at Sakura.

"Hn." Neji said as he watched her leave the room. Sasuke shot him another glare before leaving the room as well. _"Uchiha…" _Neji thought in anger.

In the hallway, Sakura stopped so Sasuke could catch up with her.

"Hey Sasuke-kun, back from training?" Sakura asked.

"Hn."

"So I suppose you feel a lot better, no injuries or pains?"

"Hn."

"You know you shouldn't just leave like that. It scared me when I found no one in the room."

"Hn." Sakura stopped walking which caused him to do the same.

"Sasuke-kun, what's wrong?" She asked looking at him with sad eyes._ "Say 'hn' one more time and you're going to get it." _She thought, a little annoyed.

"….." But he didn't answer.

"Sas-" but Sakura was cut off.

"Sakura, what were you doing with Hyuuga?" Sasuke asked, not looking at her.

"W-what?" She said, remembering the small incident between them. She blushed slightly, but resumed a straight face when she reminded herself that no one knew about her little moment with the Hyuuga prodigy.

"You know what asked, what were you doing with Neji?"

"Saying thank you for what he did for me. He did save my life you know." Sakura said. She wasn't completely lying, it's just that she wouldn't have never expected 'that' kind of reply from him.

"Whatever. I need some air." Sasuke said, as he continued walking down the hall. Sakura just stood there, watching the retreating form of her teammates back.

"Sasuke-kun…"

In the morning, the village seemed to come to life as the sun rose over it.

"Ah ha! Finally I can get the heck out of here!" Naruto exclaimed running out the door. "First stop, Ichiraku's ramen shack!" Naruto pretty much sprinted his way there, drool practically spilling from the side of his mouth. Naruto reached the small shack, only to find his pink haired teammate eating alone.

"Sakura-chan!" Naruto said giving her a hug.

"Naruto." Sakura said with a smile before pushing him away, laughing lightly.

"One bowl of-" Naruto began, but stopped when Sakura pushed her bowl in front of him.

"Here take mine, I'm not hungry." Sakura said.

"Really! Aw thanks Sakura-chan!" Naruto said before grabbing a pair of wooden chopsticks, and eating the bowls contents. "This is a hell lot better than the crap the hospital….." But Naruto's sentence trailed off when he saw the look on his friend's face. "Sakura-chan, what's wrong?"

"Nothing." Sakura said a little too quickly.

"You suck at lying you know." Naruto said as he finished off the noodle soup.

" It's nothing."

"Sakura-chan, you know you can tell me anything. No matter what. Even if you were to do something unimaginable, I wouldn't think any less of you. I mean come on, I forgave that teme didn't I?" Naruto joked, but Sakura didn't even smile. "Sak-"

"You promise to try not to think low of me?" Sakura asked, cutting the blond off.

"Of course!" Naruto said hitting his chest with his right fist. "How could I ever do that to you?"

"Okay…..It started when I asked Shizune-chan if I could see everyone else last night…" Sakura told the story from that point, to the conversation with Sasuke. Naruto went completely wide-eyed at some parts of the story, to a look of pity when she was finished.

"One thing I don't get is…." Naruto began.

"W-what?" Sakura asked, afraid of his answer. Naruto just sucked in a big breath of air.

"How can you like Neji! And you…And he…Well he started, but you gave…oh shit….Wait a sec. Are you sure he was drugged for that long? Cause you said it yourself, the pill's only suppose to last for like a couple of minutes….That means, he was taking advantage of you! That white eyed bas-" Naruto said, but then was cut off by Sakura's fist.

"He wouldn't do that Naruto." Sakura said sternly.

"But then, that would just mean."

"I know, I know…" Sakura said, tears starting to form in her eyes. "Naruto, w-what should I do?" she asked, her face covered by both her hands. "He said, he lov-but he was on drugs, and…and I don't know anymore…"

In that instant, Naruto wished he didn't freak out a second ago, it only made his friend feel worse. He wrapped his arms around her, and patted her back.

"Neji's my friend, but Sasuke-kun….Does this mean I like Neji, or…What does Sasuke think of me now? What do I think of Sasuke-kun? If I could just forget my feelings towards him so easily, does that mean I don't love him, did I ever truly love him?…" Sakura seemed to ask no one as she started to cry lightly onto Naruto's chest. "Now I'm crying, great." Sakura muttered.

"Sakura-chan, it's ok. You can cry, it won't hurt." Naruto said. This calmed her down a bit, but Naruto knew she would need more time.

The blond walked his teammate to her apartment. He made sure she got inside before leaving. _"Why do these things always involve my team?" _Naruto asked himself, as he headed toward the Hyuuga mansion.

That night, Sakura decided enough was enough. _"For kami sakes, I'm a kunoichi!" _She thought. _"I can't believe I worried Naruto like that." _Just then someone knocked on the door. Sakura went to the door and opened it to find a smiling face.

In the hokage's office, Tsunade was gulping down another helping of sake.

"Tsunade-sama."

"What is it now Genma?" the hokage asked.

"We found a large number of rogue nins near Konoha. They're after the scroll, and its contents. Tsunade-sama, what do you suggest we do?"

Tsunade drowned another small cupof sake before givning the jounin her instructions.

Back in Sakura's apartment.

"Sai?….What the heck are you doing here, shouldn't you still be in bed!…" Sakura asked.

"No. They said I was good for the day."

"You sure?" He nodded. _"Wtf?….I don't remember inviting him and he never came here except for maybe the casual team dinner…..Unless….He told him!…I'm going to kill that baka!"_

"Whatever you heard from Naru-" Sakura said quickly, while closing the door.

"Che, don't try to lie to me, hag." Sai said jokingly as he let himself into the kunoichi's apartment. He dropped his scroll that had some kind of ink symbols on it and sat down on the couch. Sakura sat beside him. "That baka told me the short version of the crap you pulled with Hyuuga. So I just came here to see how you were doing….Plus I want to know what really happened."

"Sai…Thanks but, I don't think you would really what to-" Sakura began.

"What are you saying? Come on, you told the dobe, and not your best friends, why would it be so different to tell me?" Sai asked, cutting Sakura off.

"Wait…Why do you want to know?"

"I read somewhere about these kinds of conflicts about relationships and how they tore people apart. I just wanted to give you any assistance incase something happens to our team."

"Sai, everything's ok and-"

"Cut the crap and spill it. It's not like you slept with the guy." Sai said smiling.

"W-what! I wouldn't ever-"

"Well then tell me. If you keep quiet about it, then I'll just think of the worst case scenario…You slept with the Hyuuga."

"Grr…Fine…Asshole." Sakura said defeated. After she told him what happened, Sakura felt like the room they were in, was getting smaller.

"Wow. So I guess Uchiha's pissed." Sai said before smiling widely.

"How can you be so happy?"

"Well, truthfully, I don't know which emotion to use right now." Sakura just sweat dropped. "But nonetheless, I would say that this was a definite love triangle. Even though I would prefer you to go with Hyuuga. He's a hell lot better that the teme."

"Don't call Sasuke-kun a teme." Sakura said defensively.

"So you like Neji then, right?"

"Wait I didn't say-"

"So Uchiha?"

"No-"

"Hyuuga?"

"Damn it Sai-"

"Both?"

"Damn it! I don't know! I'm not even sure I really-"

"But you did kiss the Hyuuga guy. That's a huge sign of love right there. You can look it up in every book I've read."

"Yeah, but that was an accident."

"Or more like he came on to you."

"What!"

"Hey, from what that dobe told me, Hyuuga pretty much said he loved you before kissing you. Am I right?"

"….Well…But he was-"

"Telling you how he felt. Just had to be drugged up to say it." Sai said smiling. "I'm just pointing stuff out for you. Uchiha left, and came back, but he didn't really show any signs of interest towards you. Am I correct?" Sakura semi-nodded.

"But there was that one time-" Sakura began.

"Did he continue on it? Or did he just let the moment slide without truly showing you any real deep affection?"

"This is really weird, especially for this conversation to be with you."

"Just answer me Sakura."

"There were some moments, but he just let them slip…." Sakura looked onto the floor of her living room.

"Though Neji was on a pill, he showed deep emotions, and expressed words of affection towards you." Sakura just let his words sink in.

"But Sasuke-kun-"

"Is just probably a crush, or whatever you guys call it these days. And if you ever did love him, there wouldn't be a strong attraction between you and Neji. Would there?"

"…But doesn't that also apply to Neji as well?"

"What do you mean?"

"There were sometimes, Sasuke-kun really did want to be with me. I could almost feel it."

"Well then." Sakura looked at her teammate who was now heading toward the door. "I guess you're…" He opened the door, but before leaving he looked back and smiled at her. "Screwed."

"Why you!" Sai quickly teleported away from the angry kunoichi. Sakura just closed the door and sat back down on the couch. She looked at the table only to find one of Sai's scrolls sitting there.

"Damn it, that jackass forgot his scroll." Sakura said as she picked it up. Soon after, someone knocked at the door. _"Hmph, he came back." _She thought as she placed the scroll in her kunai pouch.

As she opened the door she yelled, "So you came back for the scroll, huh youuuuu….Not Sai person…" Sakura's sentence trailed off when she saw the other male member of her team on her door step. _"Shit."_

"Sakura, can we talk, or go for a walk?" Sasuke asked, with a raised brow from the girl's outburst.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

**Next time: **"Do you still love me?"…"Alright me, we got almost all the best of the leaf's anbu next to the scroll. Time to show this damn village some fireworks."…"Damn it Naruto! Can't you just let me tell Sakura that I-"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

**AN: **I'm soooooo sry. I know, update took way too long…plus it'sshort...School just started and…ah, u don't care….well I'll try harder next time, promise…wait what are u doing with that kunai…..AHHHHH Runaway!


	12. Tensions are High…

-**AN: I don't own Naruto.**

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

**Previously: **"Damn it, that jackass forgot his scroll." Sakura said as she picked it up. Soon after, someone knocked at the door. _"Hmph, he came back." _She thought as she placed the scroll in her kunai pouch.

As she opened the door she yelled, "So you came back for the scroll, huh youuuuu….Not Sai person…" Sakura's sentence trailed off when she saw the other male member of her team on her door step. _"Shit."_

"Sakura, can we talk, or go for a walk?" Sasuke asked, with a raised brow from the girl's outburst.

XXXXXXXXXXX

**Chapter 10 - Tensions are High…**

"Oi, Hinata-chan!" Naruto called out as he banged on the front gate of her mansion. The blond nin waited impatiently as one of the Hyuuga's family servant opened the door. "Thanks." Naruto muttered as he ran past the door, and straight towards Hinata's side of the mansion.

Hinata opened her screen door and greeted Naruto with a kiss on the cheek. "Where's Sai?" the Hyuuga heiress asked.

"Right here." Sai said as he jumped down from the roof.

"Do you two really have to-" Hinata began.

"Of course Hinata-chan! We can't let Neji know what he did was-" Naruto said.

"But the hag is to blame too you know." Sai said as he looked in his kunai pouch for something.

"Stop calling Sakura-chan a hag!" Naruto said with a shaking fist.

"Fine, whatever."

"I always thought Sakura-chan liked Sasuke." Hinata said.

"Yeah…Me too." Naruto said as he looked down. "He probably drove her away like before. He's such a cold bastard."

"Well, he is trying." Sai said.

"What do you mean?" Hinata asked.

"When I left her place, I saw Sasuke walking by. He's with her right now actually."

"What?" Naruto said confused. "How the heck do you know?"

Sai took out a scroll identical to the one he left at Sakura's house and slowly opened it. "I read somewhere that overly emotional girls do crazy shit when something like this happens, so I placed a scroll in her house before I left. Lucky for us, she took it with her, wherever she's going."

"What kind of scroll is it. I never heard of this before." Hinata asked.

"Just a plain regular scroll. I just placed some of the ink I use for summoning in it. We should be able to hear what's going on, as well as see where they're heading. The good and bad thing is that she can't hear us at all, and if she does find out, she can reverse the process and find our location without us knowing. It's because of this I don't use it during missions." Sai explained.

"Cool." Naruto said.

"We should go inside, incase someone catches us." Hinata said as he headed back towards the sliding door.

"That should be hard, seeing that we're surrounded by the Hyuuga clan." Sai said.

"No one really disturb the main branch house, so we should be ok."

"Why don't we just go spy on them ourselves?" Naruto suggested.

"If you want to get a sword up your ass or a punch in the face by Sakura, go ahead. I prefer to live." Sai said as he followed Hinata inside. Naruto just muttered some things as he followed his friends inside. In Hinata's room, Sai opened the scroll all the was as he took out his brush. He made a simple slash against a black spot surrounded by some writing and soon the three heard two separate voices.

XXXXXXXXX

"Sasuke-kun?" Sakura asked as the two walked through the old training grounds.

"Hn?" Sasuke said as he looked at her.

"What did you want to talk about?" Sasuke stopped and looked up at the moon. "Sasuke-kun, what's wrong?"

"I want to know one thing." Sasuke said in a low tone.

"What?" Sakura asked.

"D-do you….Still…"

"Still what?" Sakura asked, a little confused. _"Sasuke-kun never stutters." _She thought.

"Do you still love me?" Sasuke said, barely a whisper.

"What was that Sasuke-kun? You're whispering."

"….." Sasuke seemed to be in deep thought as a long silence came forth.

"Sasu-"

"Are you still _only friends _with Hyuuga? Or is there something I'm missing?" Sasuke asked, cutting her off.

"You mean Neji?" Sakura asked, taking a step back from the Uchiha, glaring dangerously at the floor at the mention of Neji's name.

XXXXXXXXX

"What are you three doing?" Neji asked as he entered Hinata's room.

"Neji?!" The three almost yelled out in surprise.

Neji just looked at them questionably. Then he looked down at the scroll that was in the middle of them. _"What kind of scroll is that?" _He thought.

Hinata prayed to kami that both Sakura and Sasuke would keep quiet until Neji left a safe distance away. Naruto in the meanwhile glared at the Hyuuga. Sai just seemed to not to have a care in the world as he sat down next to his scroll.

"What's wrong with you?" Neji asked Naruto, seeing that his glare wouldn't turn away.

"I should be asking that, you-" but Naruto was cut off by Hinata when she grabbed his shoulder.

"Naruto-kun ple-" Hinata asked.

"Not now Hinata." Naruto said in a quiet yet serious tone. Hinata slowly let go of his arm.

_"He probably knows whathappened." _Neji thought. _"Knowing how protective he is, this will be a problem." _

"Naruto, I didn't mean for anything like _that_ to even-" Neji said.

"Cut the crap. You should know that Sakura's feeling are not to ever be tampered with. No even Sasuk-"

"Don't tell me that what happened was any worse to what Uchiha had done!" Neji said in an angered tone, which made Hinata shutter. "That selfish, power hungry-" but Neji was silenced by Naruto's fist. By instinct, Neji dodged to the left, but the attack slightly grazed the side of his cheek.

"Naruto, stop!" Sai said as he grabbed hold of the pissed off blond. Naruto immediately calmed down until all four of them heard Sasuke saying "Sakura….I-" but Sasuke's words were muffled by Hinata's hands that laid over the black dot in the center of Sai's scroll.

"Uchiha?!" Neji said almost enraged. Naruto released himself from Sai's hold and forcefully took Neji outside the mansion.

Neji was about to take this opportunity to go find Sakura, but Naruto had him surrounded by hundreds of seriously looking clones. "Neji. I don't want to have to send you to the hospital."

XXXXXXXXX

"Alright men, we got almost all the best of the leaf's anbu next to the scroll. Time to show this damn village some fireworks." A rogue nin yelled. A loud roar of cheers erupted throughout the forest.

XXXXXXXXX

"Tusnade-sama. We have reports that the Akatsuki were spotted nearby as well." An anbu said.

_"Why now?" _Tsunade thought as he stood up from her chair. "Get every Shinobi that's fit to fight ready!" she ordered.

"Hai!" The anbu said before leaving quickly.

XXXXXXXXX

"Naruto. I need to speak with Sakura now." Naruto let out a frustrated sigh.

"You think you're the only one?" Naruto said.

"What are yo-"

"First it was me, then fuzzy brows, now you."

"…."

"But She always waited for one person. That used to always bother me, it was always the teme that got everything, even though he was almost just like the rest of us." Naruto said in a sad tone. Neji just stayed quiet as he continued to listen to his friend. "But you know what. He was waiting for her too. It's just that his brother won't let him forget the past, Sakura-chan's there, along with the rest of us, to make sure he has a future."

"It's like you said. He isn't the only one, but I just want…to at least…" Neji began.

"Sasuke-"

"Damn it Naruto! Can't you just let me tell Sakura that I-" but Neji was cut off when a huge explosion shook the floor.

"What the?!" Naruto and his clones said as they looked at the burning building near the tower.

XXXXXXXXX

"What was that?" Sakura said.

"Let's go." Sasuke said as he raced toward the explosion, Sakura right behind him.

XXXXXXXXX

"There's the signal! Attack!" the rouge nin yelled out.

Only less than a mile away, three men in black robes looked upon Konoha.

"This should be fun, yeah?" Diedara said as he watched some nins fighting one another.

"Remember why we're here." Kisame said.

"Yeah, yeah." Deidara said as he made a giant flying clay bird.

"The kyuubi must be left alone. I will take care of Sasuke. Do what you want with Sakura. Remember, keep those three apart. " Itachi said as he walked off into the forest, straight towards Konoha.

"I'll take care of Sakura, yeah?" Deidara asked.

"Why do I have to handle the kyuubi?" Kisame argued.

"Because I saved your ass. You owe me, yeah."

"I don't owe you anything, and didn't you fight the kyuubi before?"

"Yeah, but she did kill Sasori-san."

"Thought you didn't like the guy."

"Would just after the kyuubi, yeah?!" Deidara said as he rode on his clay bird toward Konoha.

XXXXXXXXX

"Hinata-chan, Neji, where's Sakura-chan?" Naruto asked.

"Thirty degrees to the right and straight forward, near the hokage tower." Hinata said.

"She's with Sasuke." Sai and Neji said in unison.

XXXXXXXXX

"Sakura, stay by me." Sasuke said as he cut down some rogue nin.

"They must know Konoha's layout since they all came directly to the tower without trouble." Sakura said as she shattered the floor below them with her heel.

"Sakura-chan!" Naruto called out as he and the other joined them.

"Naruto, what took you?" Sakura asked.

"Oi, Neji!" Tenten and Lee called out.

"Hinata!" Kiba called out, accompanied by Akamaru and Shino.

"Sakura!" Ino called out. Shikamaru and Choji soon joined the group.

"Yo." Kakashi said as he faced the group of nins.

"Kakashi, what are there any plans?" Shikamaru asked.

"Nope. I suggest not to die though." Everyone sweat dropped.

"I guess we have to separate. How troublesome."

"By teams?" Ino asked.

"That's fastest." Kiba said.

"Let's go with the will of our youth!" Lee yelled out. Tenten just smiled as she told everyone to be careful.

"Stay safe and kick ass Hinata-chan." Naruto said as he gave her a big hug before heading back toward his teammates.

"Sakura, if you need help, just call for it." Neji said as he held her hand.

"Sakura let's go." Sasuke said as he gave Neji a death glare.

"Come on people." Sai called out.

"Be careful Neji." Sakura said before leaving with Sasuke.

"Kakashi, are you-" Naruto began.

"No, I need to stay here. Your job is to take on the Akatsuki. Special orders from Tsunade-sama." Kakashi said as he lifted his headband above his left eye. _"Akatsuki, us?" _they thought in unison. He gave his team a thumbs up before engaging into a series of fights. Naruto and the rest headed out searching for their main targets.

XXXXXXXXX

"Neji, Tenten, Lee." Kakashi called out.

"Yeah?" Tenten answered as she threw kunai's into some nins with precise accuracy.

"I want you're team to stay close to mine."

"No problem." Neji said.

"Come Tenten! We shall take on those Akatsuki members with all our will!" Lee called out as he followed Neji.

XXXXXXXXX

"Itachi, what do we do with that Sai guy, yeah?" Deidara asked as he was following team seven.

"I say we kill him, along with anyone else who interferes." Kisame said.

"Do want you please, just stick to the plan." Itachi said as he pursued his brother's team. _"I suppose I'll have to force you into getting the Mangekyou Sasuke…" _

XXXXXXXXX

**Next time: "**SAI, NO!"…"Sakura-chan, we have to get out of here now! Snap out of it!"…"Neji, please…Please I love-"…"Naruto, I have to kill him. Not you or even Sakura can stop me."

XXXXXXXXX


	13. Broken promise?…

**AN: I don't own Naruto.**

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

**Previously:**"Itachi, what do we do with that Sai guy, yeah?" Deidara asked as he was following team seven.

"I say we kill him, along with anyone else who interferes." Kisame said.

"Do what you please, just stick to the plan." Itachi said as he pursued his brother's team. _"I suppose I'll have to force you into getting the Mangekyou Sasuke…" _

XXXXXXXXXXX

**Chapter 11 - Broken promise?…**

"Naruto!" Sakura yelled as she, Sai, and Sasuke were separated from their teammate. The Akatsuki had caught them off guard, and Kisame knocked Naruto off a cliff. As Kisame jumped after his target, Deidara made sure Sakura and Sai were far away from Sasuke with a series of explosives.

"Sakura." Sasuke said as he tried to regroup, but stopped when he sensed the presence of his brother. "Itachi."

XXXXXXXXXXXX

"Sai, we have to get him off his bird." Sakura whispered to her teammate as he summoned an ink tiger.

"Whatever you say ugly." Sai said with a smile. Sai drew a small flock of birds and summoned them to life. The ink birds flew straight at Deidara. At the same time, the Akatsuki member made a another large bird and released it.

"Sai!" Sakura called out when the large bird collided with Sai's small ink flock. An explosion erupted and the two parties flew back from the blast.

_"He put explosion tags in the birds." _Deidara thought as he was knocked off his clay bird.

"Sakura, hurry up!" Sai called out as he rode on his tiger through the multiple explosions.

"I'm ready." Sakura called out as Sai went straight toward to where Deidara fell.

"Damn that-" but Deidara was cut off when a huge black tiger rammed him into a tree. Before he could move, a huge ink cobra wrapped itself around him and the tree. The Akatsuki member struggled to get free, but the strength of the beast left him immobile.

Sakura then appeared in front of him.

"Say goodbye." Sakura said as she formed a tight fist. Concentrating a large amount of chakra into her right fist, she ran forward and aimed straight at Deidara's heart, but just before she could make contact, someone pushed her aside.

"What the-Neji?!" Sakura said.

"Get down!" Neji yelled. Sai did as he was told, and Neji covered Sakura.

"Art is a bang, yeah." Deidara said before his body inflated and blew up.

Debris flew in every direction, and some trees fell from its force. When everything seemed to settle down Neji got off of Sakura and scanned the area. Sai came from behind a boulder and walked toward the small group.

"That was close." Sai said as he patted some dirt off his clothes.

"Yeah, thanks Neji." Sakura said.

"I'm always here to help you." Neji said as he watched her smile.

"Oh wait! Naruto and Sasuke-kun!" Sakura said panicked. "Neji, can you use your byakugan?"

Neji activated his technique and looked around as Tenten and Lee approached them.

"Naruto's fighting Kisame in the river down hill. Sasuke is fighting Itachi in the forest in the opposite direction." Neji said as his eyes turned back to normal.

"Neji, you have to help Naruto. You can stop his chakra flow before he transforms into the Kyuubi. By the time he gets his fourth tail, it's over." Sakura explained.

"No, we can do it." Tenten said as she took out a small slip of paper. "Kakashi-san gave it to us before we left. He said it would seal the kyuubi."

"Sakura, I'm coming with you." Neji said sternly.

"Neji I-" but Sakura was cut off when the group sensed a large chakra signature approach them.

"He's back!" Sai yelled as the group scattered. A another bird blew up and created a crater right where the leaf nins stood only moments before.

"Neji, Sakura-san! You two help Sasuke, we'll handle the rest." Lee called out as he started to unwrap the bandages around his arms. "Tenten, you and Sai go help Naruto."

"But Lee." Tenten began.

"I'll be alright." Lee assured her as he gave his signature thumbs up. "I promise!"

"Sakura, let's go." Neji said as he put a hand on her shoulder. "We can't waste time."

"But-" Sakura muttered.

"I'll make sure Naruto will be fine, and Lee promised he would be ok. We'll be just fine, I give you my word." Tenten said with a smile. Sakura smiled back.

"Thank you Tenten." Sakura said as she turned to leave.

"Lee, Tenten, Sai. Be careful." Neji said before leaving.

"You know us." Tenten said as her teammate sprinted off. She then turned to Lee, "Don't do anything stupid." Tenten said before giving the green nin a farewell hug. "Let's go Sai!" Tenten said as they ran off toward Naruto.

Deidara was about to go after Sakura and Neji, but Lee kicked him off his bird.

"You're going to regret that, yeah." the Akatsuki member said as he wiped off some blood on the side of his mouth.

"I won't allow you to harm any of my friends." Lee said as he took out a small bottle from his kunai pouch.

"What is that?" Deidara asked as he molded another clay bomb.

"Just some medicine I need to take." Lee said as he unscrewed the small bottle of sake and drank it in one shot.

XXXXXXXXXX

"Die you blue bastard!" Naruto said as he clawed at Kisame's right arm. Kisame held his right arm as the wound burned into his skin.

_"What the hell?" _Kisame thought, but then when he looked at the blond nin he saw red chakra consume his body. _"Hmph, the fox is finally coming out." _

The Akaktsuki member readied himself as the now single tailed Naruto came charging at him.

_"I can't let this control me. I need to go help Sakura-chan and the teme." _Naruto thought as he summoned four shadow clones.

XXXXXXXX

"You are pathetic Sasuke." Itachi said as he attacked Sasuke with inhuman speed.

"Shut up!" Sasuke said as he aimed a punch in his brothers gut.

"Even you should be able to realize that you're going to lose at this rate." Itachi said as he dodged another punch from Sasuke. "I suppose I will have to assist you in getting these eyes." Itachi then activated his mangekyou and landed a punch right in Sasuke's stomach. The younger Uchiha fell to his knees as he spat out blood.

"You truly are pathetic." Itachi then gabbed the back of Sasuke's neck and lifted him off the ground. "What happened to all the potential I saw in you when father was still alive?" At that moment Sasuke's eyes widened at the memory of his deceased clan.

"NO!" Sasuke yelled as his chidori surrounded his body. Itachi couldn't escape fast enough not to be burned. Sasuke then executed an uppercut with his right fist sending Itachi into the air. Sasuke jumped and applied a series of kicks and punches in mid-air. "Lion combo!" the younger Uchiha said as he landed one last kick into Itachi's side as his body connected to the ground. Before Sasuke had a chance to strikethrough his brother's heart with his sword, Itachi used the replacement jutsu and appeared in front of Sasuke, only a few meters away.

"If just bringing back some memories made you react like that. Then what would you do if let's say, I rid another one of your distractions right now." Itachi said.

_"……..Sakura, Naruto!" _Sasuke thought as the grip on his sword tightened.

"Your attachment to those two are what's keeping you from your dream." Itachi said.

"No they're not."

"Is that so. Right now, the only possibility of you winning against me is if you had the mangekyou, but you're hesitant of getting it because you fear of taking Naruto's life. They're keeping you away from the power, they're forcing you to become a pathetic tool that's used when they can't save their weak selves. By being able to take that one life, you can be free, no more boundaries will come between you and what you want…So, do you still believe that they are saving you from a horrible fate or causing it?"

XXXXXXXX

"SAI, NO!" Tenten called out as Kisame's sword made full contact with her friend.

"Tenten…get Sai away from here." Naruto said as he tried to suppress the fox demon within him.

"Naruto, you have to wear this seal-Naruto!" Tenten said as Naruto's third tail appeared. _"Shit." _The weapon master thought as the chakra around Naruto started to boil. The lines on his face darkened and he grew small fangs. His nails were longer and his eyes were no longer sky blue, but as red as blood.

_"I need to make this quick." _Kisame thought as he kicked Sai's worn body away. Tenten took hold of her unconscious teammate and ran away to take cover. Naruto and Kisame were fighting to the death. Tenten had a hard time accepting the fact that this animal was the ramen obsessed hokage dreamer she knew only hours ago.

Naruto clawed at Kisame as the Akatsuki member tried to defend himself. The shark nin found it almost impossible to land a hit on his opponent. Doing some hand seals, Kisame attempted to trap Naruto in a small prison of water. As the giant ball of water formed around Naruto, Kisame saw that it was a waste of chakra. The Kyuubi's chakra around Naruto turned the water jutsu into steam, and Naruto wore a smile that looked threatening with his new animalistic appearance.

_"I can't let this go on. Just one more tail and it's over." _Tenten thought seeing that with four tails, she would have no chance of holding his down long enough to place the seal on him. "Sorry Naruto." Tenten said as she took out two scrolls from her kunai pouch. "But I gave Sakura my word."

XXXXXXXX

"Kakashi, I'm at 112! What about you?" Gai called out as a couple of nins came from behind him.

"Chidori!" The masked jounin said as a huge ball of lightning formed in his hand. The nins all fell to the ground dead as Kakashi and Gai looked for their next opponents. "127." Kakashi said casually.

"Whaaa! As expected from my rival. I will not lose!" Gai said as he knocked out another rogue nin.

"_Hopefully they're still alive." _Kakashi thought as Gai called out the number 119.

XXXXXXXX

"How troublesome." Shikamaru said as he gave the plans to his comrades. "Ino, get Shino and Kiba to search for any hidden traps. Also find Hinata wherever she is. We're going for the leader of this army."

"Hai." Ino said as she sprinted off.

"Chouji, Before we can let Kiba and Shino look around, we have to clear the field of these nins."

"Got it, leave it to me!" Chouji said as his body inflated into a giant ball. With rapid speed, Chouji rolled straight at a huge group of rogues, and successfully knocked them in various directions.

XXXXXXXXX

"Neji how much farther?" Sakura asked as the two jumped through the trees.

"Just past that clearing." Neji muttered. The two jumped toward their destination. The trees around them were singed and cut down. From anyone's point of view, a battle to the death was taking place. The silence around them only gave Sakura the worst thought possible, Itachi had already killed Sasuke. Trying to prove herself wrong, she ran faster than Neji and entered a large clearing covered with miniature craters. She frantically looked around, seeing if there were any sign of movement. She found none.

"Where could they be?" Sakura asked as Neji finally caught up to her.

"They were right here minutes ago." Neji said as he looked around.

"Looking for this?" Itachi said as he appeared in front of them. On his side was Sasuke's limp body.

"Sasuke-kun!" Sakura screamed as she dashed forward. "You bastard!" Sakura said as she an earth shattering kick at Itachi. The elder Uchiha jumped backward only to find himself in perfect range of Neji's Kaiten. Neji spun around, chakra surrounding his body as Itachi was repelled into a tree.

Itachi merely smirked as he watched Sakura frantically heal his brother.

"What the hell are you smirking at?" Neji said in a deadly tone.

"How blind you fools can be." Itachi said as he shook his head from side to side.

"What do-" but Neji stopped in mid sentence when he saw Sakura stab Sasuke with a kunai. "Sakura, what are you doing?!" As soon as she pulled the kunai out of his chest, Sasuke's body soon took form of a log.

"The mangekyou and the replacement jutsu mixed." Sakura muttered.

"You're right little kunoichi." Itachi said as he looked at Sakura's confused expression.

_"I couldn't tell that it was only a copy, even with my byakugan activated?" _Neji thought in shock. _"So this is the level of the mangekyou." _

"What have you done to him?" Sakura demanded, he fists clenched at her sides.

"Just gave him a push to getting the power he longed for. He's probably attempting to obtain it as we speak." Itachi said as he started to walk away.

"What do you mean?!"

"Sasuke's going to obtain these same eyes." Itachi's words slowly squeezed her heart until she fell to her knees. _"No…no, he couldn't, he wouldn't."_ Sakura thought. _"He told me himself."_

_**Flashback**_

**_"Sakura." Sasuke said as they continued walking side by side. "Sakura I-" but Sasuke stopped when he heard voices coming from Sakura's kunai pouch._**

_**"What the hell?" Sakura said as she pulled out Sai's scroll. She opened the scroll only to here someone's voice similar to Neji's yelling "Uchiha?!". Sasuke's scowled she took the scroll from Sakura and ripped it in half. **_

_**"Didn't think Hyuuga would be pathetic enough to spy on-"**_

_**"Neji wouldn't do that!" Sakura said defensively. Sasuke gave her a surprised look, and Sakura was surprised herself. Why was she so defensive over Neji just then? "I'm sorry, it's just, you shouldn't jump to conclusions."**_

_**"Sakura…He's not just a friend to you, is he?" Sasuke said as he looked to the side. **_

_**"Sasuke-kun…He's, well…He's…" But Sakura's words slowly trailed off.**_

_**"You love him don't you?" **_

_**"No, wait…I…I don't know." Sakura said as she looked to the floor. "Sasuke-kun, please. You're not going to go look for power again are you?" **_

_**"It's hard for me to keep my promise to you. I'm not sure if I can stay here when I feel like this." Sasuke said as he gritted his teeth.**_

_**"Sasuke-kun…" Sakura said as she watched Sasuke start to walk forwards.**_

_**"You don't know what you want, and it's hard to be sure of what I want." Sasuke said as he continued walking with a low steady pace. At that very scene, the memory of when he first left Konoha flooded into her mind. **_

_**"STOP!" Sakura yelled as she ran and hugged his back. Sasuke felt her arms wrap around his chest, and her tears on his back. They stayed like that for a few minutes before she spoke again. "What I know I really what right now…is…is for you to stay here with me." Sakura whispered. Sasuke turned around and looked into her tear filled eyes. He seemed to search for any kind of uncertainty in her jade colored eyes. He smiled inwardly when he found none. **_

_**"I can say that, that's what I really want right now too." Sasuke said before pressing his lips softly against hers. Sakura was utterly shocked, but soon gave into the light kiss. The two parted and she leaned against his chest. He wrapped his arms around her in a warm embrace.**_

_**"Please keep your promise and not look for power." Sakura whispered.**_

_**"…Ok." Sasuke whispered back.**_

_**End Flashback**_

Itachi soon turned around and disappeared in a cloud of smoke.

"Sakura!" Neji said as he came to her side.

"I…I thought he gave that up…He-he couldn't be doing that. He couldn't. He promised me. He promised…"Sakura muttered as she slammed the ground with her fist, causing another crater in the clearing.

"Sakura, what are you talking about?" Neji asked.

"Sasuke-kun's going to…going to kill Naruto." Sakura said as her fingers dug into the ground.

"What?!" Neji yelled. "We have to stop him!"

"Why Sasuke-kun…" Sakura muttered.

"Sakura-chan, we have to get out of here now! Snap out of it!" Neji said as he shook her by the shoulders. When she didn't respond, Neji couldn't hold back anymore.

"Why the hell are you like this with him?! Is that power hungry bastard _that_ important to you?! He probably made that damn promise so you wouldn't bother him about it!" Neji yelled. Sakura's eyes were wide with shock. "I-I'm sorry."

"…Neji."

"We should leave now if we want to help Naruto, and even maybe the others." Neji said as he helped her up. "I don't even know why we let him have it so easy after abandoning us the first time." He activated his byakugan. "I don't know how you could let him come back into your heart so easily either."

"Neji, please…Please I love-" but Sakura stopped when Neji sprinted off toward Naruto's direction.

_"Why does she love him? How can she love him?" _Neji thought as he felt his blood boil. _"Damn you Uchiha. I can't allow anything to hurt Sakura so much anymore. If he truly intends on killing Naruto…then I will do the same with him."_

XXXXXXXXX

**AN: **I so damn sorry this update took so long, but I can't seem to find anymore inspiration for this story, so I'll probably end this fanfic in about one or two more chapters…Sorry again. Same thing might apply to my other stories as well. Anyways, thank you for reading.


	14. I’ll Never Forgive You…

**AN: I don't own Naruto.**

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**Previously: **"Sakura-chan, we have to get out of here now! Snap out of it!" Neji said as he shook her by the shoulders. When she didn't respond, Neji couldn't hold back anymore.

"Why the hell are you like this with him?! Is that power hungry bastard _that_ important to you?! He probably made that damn promise so you wouldn't bother him about it!" Neji yelled. Sakura's eyes were wide with shock. "I-I'm sorry."

"…Neji."

"We should leave now if we want to help Naruto, and even maybe the others." Neji said as he helped her up. "I don't even know why we let him have it so easy after abandoning us the first time." He activated his byakugan. "I don't know how you could let him come back into your heart so easily either."

"Neji, please…Please I love-" but Sakura stopped when Neji sprinted off toward Naruto's direction.

"_Why does she love him? How can she love him?" _Neji thought as he felt his blood boil. _"Damn you Uchiha. I can't allow anything to hurt Sakura so much anymore. If he truly intends on killing Naruto…then I will do the same with him."_

XXXXXXXXX

**Chapter 12 - I'll Never Forgive You…**

"Damn this kid, yeah." Deidara said as he dodged only half of the drunken nin's attacks. Even though Lee had no idea of what the was doing at the moment, he seemed to have the edge against the Akatsuki member. From all the clay bombs he created in the battle, Deidara was forced to preserve the small amount of chakra he possessed.

The Akatsuki member jumped through a series of trees as he avoided the leaf nin's attacks. _"He's an annoying close range fighter, yeah." _Deidara thought as he tried to put as much distance between him and the drunken nin. Lee decided to stop playing around and pumped his chakra to his feet. In a flash, Lee appeared in front of Deidara and punched him twice on the chest, and then gave a forceful kick right in his rib cage, feeling some bones crack from the impact.

Deidara coughed up some blood as he flew back and landed on his feet. He clenched his chest in pain as he watched Lee fall to the ground.

"What the hell, yeah?" Deidara said as he saw Lee go to sleep. Taking this chance, Deidara got what was the last of his chakra and made one last clay bomb. The medium sized ball of clay slowly grew larger as the mouth on his hand continued to increase the bomb's size_. "It's all or nothing, yeah." _Deidara thought as he jumped into the air. When he was at a safe distance in the air, he threw what was the last of his chakra straight toward the sleeping nin. An explosion erupted and Deidara let out a sigh of relief. As gravity took hold of him and he started to fallback toward the ground, he noticed a chakra signature right below him.

"Shit!" Deidara said as he tried to defend himself, but it was useless. Both of his arms were instantly wrapped with bandages and someone grabbed him from behind.

"You're suppose to be dead, yeah!" Deidara hollered as he and Lee were falling head first to the ground. "Let me go!" He struggled to get free as he started to panic. The speed of their fall grew faster and faster as Lee put all of his strength in holding on to his opponent.

"This is the end!" Lee called out as he released Deidara straight into the hard forest floor. Lee skid to the side as a huge cloud of dirt surrounded the battlegrounds. Lee sat up panting as he saw a huge crater in front of him. As the dust cleared, he only say the bottom half of the Akatsuki member sticking from the bottom of the crater.

"You were a good opponent." Leesaid as he collapsed onto the floor exhausted. _"Tenten, Neji, Sakura-san, Naruto-kun…stay strong." _Lee thought before falling asleep again.

XXXXXXXXX

Things seemed to go more smoothly in the hokage tower as there seemed to be less enemy nins around.

"Tsunade-sama, the enemy seems to be retreating." Genma stated.

"Thank Kami. Get the injured treated immediately, we don't know if they're going to comeback or not." Tsunade said as she finished healing one of the elite jounins.

"Tsunade-san. Tell your shinobi to evacuate from where the enemy are retreating." Gaara said as he headed out of the tower.

"Gaara-san, what do you plan on doing?" Tsunade asked.

"I'm going to make sure they won't come back." Gaara said before leaving the tower.

"Tsunade-sama, you think we should-" Genma said.

"Whether you feel sorry for those rogues or not, they are our enemy. Hurry and send out Gaara-san's warning." Tsunade said as she dismissed the jounin.

Minutes later Gaara found where the rogue were retreating. Taking a comfortable stance, the kage of the sand started to gather sand from ground around him.

"What's going on? Why is the ground shak-" but the rogue nin couldn't finish his question as he and his comrades were engulfed by a huge sand trap. The radius of the trap grew by the second, leaving almost no chance of escape. As if it were like a whirlpool in oceans, the nins were sucked into the center. When Gaara had more than enough nins trapped in his swirling sand trap, he placed one arm in front of him, his hand slowly closing to a fist.

"Desert coffin." Gaara muttered as he closed his hand into a fist, the entire place turned silent within a second.

XXXXXXXXXXX

"Looks like Gaara-sama got a little carried away ne?" Kakshi said as he joined Shikamaru and the rest of the gang.

"Kiba, Shino, and Hinata are dismantling all of the traps those bastards left. So there shouldn't be much worry about getting around." Shikamaru said.

"Where are Sakura, and Tenten's teams?" Ino asked.

"We have to go help them with the remaining Akatsuki members." Kakashi said.

"Come my rival, we shall take on those missing nins with our power of youth! Yosh!" Gai said as he lifted his arm in the air. Everyone just sweat dropped.

"Chouji, Ino. You two go find Hinata's team and back us up. Gai, Kakashi, and I are going to help Naruto and the rest." Shikamaru ordered.

"Hai. Be careful." Ino said as she and Chouji went to find their friends.

"Lets go." Kakashi said as the leaf nins ran into the forest.

XXXXXXXXX

_"What's going on?" _Sai thought as he started to gain consciousness. Everything was blurry. Squinting his eyes, he soon was able to see things clearly. He saw Tenten only a few meters away, her back facing him. Sai guessed she was summoning something, from how she wiped some blood from the tip of her thumb onto two separate scrolls. Sai slowly brought himself up, as he used a tree for some support. It was then that he saw Naruto and Kisame. "Fuck."

"Sai, you're finally up, huh?" Tenten said as she made a couple of hand seals.

"Tenten, what are you doing?" Sai asked as he walked over to her.

"I need to get Naruto back to normal. Sorry, but do you think you can keep that shark freak away for a while?"

"I'll do more than that." Sai said as he watched the raging battle. "So what's the plan?"

"Simple, I'm going to shoot Naruto with this seal." Tenten said as she took the seal out of her kunai pouch.

"Shoot?"

"I have no choice, we're both out of weapons and this is my last resort."

Sai just sighed, as he took out his spare paintbrush.

"Just tell me when." Sai said as he summoned his ink beasts.

"Now." Tenten said as she completed her hands seals and slammed the palms of her hands onto the scrolls.

A huge cloud appeared, which stopped Kisame and Naruto for a brief moment. On the same time, both nins were shot in opposite directions. Kisame was engulfed by ink which stung his open wounds. Too tired fighting the Kyuubi, Kisame could hardly fight against Sai's attacks.

"It's time to end this." Sai said as he drew a dragon on his sketch pad.

Naruto was chained from head to tail as Tenten took out her last scroll. The chakra infused chains started to crack as Tenten summoned a giant black wooden bow. A single arrow was in Tenten's hand as she tied the seal at the tip of the arrow. Tenten quickly set the arrow as she aimed at Naruto.

"I can't hit any vital organ, and I can't miss no matter what." Tenten said to herself. _"Don't miss. Don't miss. Don't miss…" _Naruto roared in anger as he managed to crack some of the chain links. "Please, let this work!" Tenten said as she fired the arrow.

The back arrow shot right into Naruto's chest. The beast roared in pain as a huge explosion erupted.

"Sai!" Tenten called out. The said nin appeared right in front of her. Sai ordered his dragon to cover them as huge waves of chakra shot out from Naruto.

When all the chaos seemed to stop, Sai dismissed his ink dragon and looked around. From a quarter mile radius, where Tenten and Sai were standing was the only place with grass left. As a small gust of wind blew by, under some dirt, both Sai and Tenten saw Naruto in his regular form sleeping. Walking up to him, Tenten pulled out the black arrow slowly and threw it to the side as the weapon disappeared in a small cloud of smoke. The small wound started to heal by itself as Tenten and Sai collapsed onto the floor.

"What happened to the fish guy?" Tenten asked as she looked around.

"Don't worry, I took care of him." Sai said. They both looked at Naruto, who was sleeping peacefully.

"His body's already healing up. Amazing." Tenten said as she saw all of his wounds begin to close on its own. "He's more trouble than he's worth. Always causing problems."

"And speaking of trouble makers, what are you doing here Sasuke?" Sai asked as the young Uchiha walked closer to them.

"Hey, where's Sakura-chan, and Neji?" Tenten asked, but Sasuke didn't reply. All he did was come closer to the three with an emotionless face. "Sasuke, what's wrong? Did something happen to them?!" Tenten said as she stood up. Sai stood up as well.

"Tenten." Sai whispered in a serious tone. "Try to wake up Naruto."

"Why-" But she was cut off when Sai said, "So Sasuke, did you manage to kill your brother?" No answer came from the Uchiha as he just came closer. "So Sasuke, are planning on killing Naruto?" Sai said as he summoned his ink dragon.

"What?!" Tenten said as she looked at Sasuke shocked.

"Tenten, get Naruto away from here, and find help." Sai said as his gaze never left Sasuke's. Tenten hesitated for a moment as she looked from Sai to the approaching Uchiha.

"Poor Sakura-chan." She muttered before carrying Naruto over her shoulder.

"If you try to take him away, I won't hesitate to kill you." Sasuke said as he appeared right in front of Tenten, his sword's tip right next to her neck. Both Sai and Tenten were frozen in place as then couldn't believe his increase in speed.

"Tenten!" Sai said as he got over his shock. He turned around only to find himself in front of another Uchiha. Itachi kicked Sai straight in his gut and send the young nin flying.

"Sai!" Tenten said right before facing the elder Uchiha, eye to eye.

"Tsukuyomi." Itachi said before Tenten slumped to the floor.

"Bastard." Sai said as he rushed toward the elder Uchiha. Itachi grabbed Tenten's collar and threw her at Sai. Sai caught her, but fell back from the impact. Itachi appeared in front of him and paced a kunai to his neck. Itachi turned to Sasuke as he watched his brother bring his sword above Naruto's heart.

"The end is near Sasuke." Itachi said as Sasuke raised his sword.

Sasuke looked at his closest friend's unconscious form. His hands started to shake as his breathing became more shallow.

"No, I…I-" Sasuke said, but didn't finish his sentence as he felt two familiar chakra signatures near him, one with his index and middle finger touching the back of his neck.

"One move Uchiha, and I'll break your neck." Neji said as he concentrated chakra at the tip of his fingers.

"Sasuke-kun." Sakura said, tears in her eyes. Sasuke looked at her, his heart almost breaking in two, but no one could tell with his emotionless expression.

"Sakura…I'm no-"

"You traitor!" Sakura yelled. Neji, Sai, and Sasuke's eyes widened in shock. Sakura's fists clenched tightly to her sides as she glared at the nin in front of her. "I'll never forgive you for this…"

XXXXXXXXX

**AN: **Ok, alright, next chapter will be the last! So stay tuned for the finally!


	15. If Only You Were Here Now

**AN: I don't own Naruto.**

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

**Previously:**"The end is near Sasuke." Itachi said as Sasuke raised his sword.

Sasuke looked at his closest friend's unconscious form. His hands started to shake as his breathing became more shallow.

"No, I…I-" Sasuke said, but didn't finish his sentence as he felt two familiar chakra signatures near him, one with his index and middle finger touching the back of his neck.

"One move Uchiha, and I'll break your neck." Neji said as he concentrated chakra at the tip of his fingers.

"Sasuke-kun." Sakura said, tears in her eyes. Sasuke looked at her, his heart almost breaking in two, but no one could tell with his emotionless expression.

"Sakura…I'm no-"

"You traitor!" Sakura yelled. Neji, Sai, and Sasuke's eyes widened in shock. Sakura's fists clenched tightly to her sides as she glared at the nin in front of her. "I'll never forgive you for this…"

XXXXXXXXX

**Chapter 12 - If You Were Only Here Now…**

"Sakura. I'm not going to do it." Sasuke said as he sheathed his sword.

Her hands were still in tight shaking fists as she looked at his almost emotionless eyes. "That's not the point. It's the fact that you even considered it in the first place!" Sakura said. "Killing Naruto?!…You even attacked Tenten-chan and Sai." Sakura said as she glared at Itachi who had a kunai to Sai's neck.

"I didn't touch th-"

"Shut up!" Sakura yelled, not wanting to hear his excuses. "Whether you hurt them yourself or not, it's because of you that they're hurt, maybe worse!" She said as she saw Tenten's unconscious form.

Sasuke just stood there, staring into Sakura's emerald eyes. Forgetting Neji's presence behind him.

"I told you Sasuke." Itachi said, bringing all attention to him. "They make you weak."

Sasuke just kept looking into Sakura's eyes, with his blank expression.

"After all those attempts to kill me, when you were just about to obtain the power you wanted for all these years, once again you're held back; and by what? Your _friends_." Itachi said as his eyes narrowed at Sakura.

"I'm not going to do it." Sasuke said, turning to his brother. "This time I'm sure." Sakura couldn't believe it. She couldn't believe that he was actually saying those words to his brother.

"Really?" Sakura asked, unsure. "Are you telling the truth this time?"

Neji continued to keep his fingers on the back of Sasuke's neck, never letting his guard down. He looked from Sakura to Sasuke to Itachi._"He's telling the truth." _Neji thought.

"Hn." Sasuke said, nodding. Sakura's gaze went to Neji, who also hesitantly agreed to Sasuke's claim.

"Hmph. It truly was a mistake to keep you alive." Itachi said. Sasuke just narrowed his eyes as his hand grabbed the handle of his sword. "I no longer wish for you to be the one to kill me."

"What are you saying?" Sasuke asked.

"You're free to live your own pathetic life."

Sasuke looked shocked. These words just seemed to not register in his head. He was free? Itachi didn't want him to kill him anymore? After all those tormenting years of wanting revenge, and laborious training, that was it?! What Sasuke decided in giving up, seemed to finally take its toll. His words of rejecting revenge have finally sunk in.

"But." Itachi began. Itachi then appeared right in front of Sakura. His speed even faster than Sasuke's left everyone stupefied. "For the ones who did this to you." Itachi plunged his kunai right into Sakura's stomach in less than a blink of an eye. "Will be killed."

"Sakura!" Neji said as he rushed to her aid. Itachi dodged his jyuuken and engaged in combat with the Hyuuga soon after. Sasuke soon joined in the fight and the two fought the elder Uchiha together.

"Go take care of Sakura…I'll take care of him." Sasuke said in between attacks.

"You can't do it on your own and Sakura is currently being treated by Sai." Neji said as he missed a direct hit, yet again.

"I can do this on my own." Sasuke said right before he was kicked square in the stomach. Neji stopped Itachi from attacking any further as he managed to close one of Itachi's chakra pathways in his left arm.

"No you can't Uchiha. Just accept the help, because I won't back down." Neji said, his eyes trained on Itachi.

"He has to pay for all he's done. All the crimes he committed! There's no reason why-"

"He attacked someone I cherish. He harmed Sakura." Neji said, cutting Sasuke off. "That's the only reason I need to kill this man. As for you." Neji looked in his direction. "You should be thinking of your promise to her. Like me, you should be fighting him to protect Sakura, not for revenge." Neji said as he continued to fight with Itachi.

Sasuke watched them fight for a minute before finally deciding that Neji was right. He seemed to care more for Sakura, than himself in the times his brother was involved. He was concerned about his revenge, even after everything that happened, while Neji was solely concerned for Sakura's well being. _"I guess Hyuuga's eyes are better than mine."_ Sasuke thought as he went to aid Neji.

XXXXXXXXX

"Tsunade-sama, everything seems to be in order. Right now, all that there needs to be done is gather the injured and the dead." Genma reported.

"So the enemy completely retreated?" Tsunade asked.

"Most of them didn't really have a chance to, thanks to Gaara-sama, but yes. There's no sign of them."

"Thank Kami. Well what are you standing there for. Go help the others round up the injured!" Tsunade said.

"Hai." Genma said as he sprinted off.

Tsunade looked out into the night, to see what was left of her village. The wind started to pick up, and the fully bloomed cherry blossoms around Konoha showered it with a blanket of soft, delicate petals. She couldn't sense her favorite young shinobi anywhere. She was scared for a second before she remembered who exactly she was worrying over._"Don't do anything to make me lose you kids." _She thought as a couple of cherry blossom petals flew by.

XXXXXXXX

"Chidori!" Sasuke exclaimed as he managed to get a direct hit on his brother's right shoulder. Itachi jumped back as his shoulder was bleeding profoundly. Neji suddenly appeared behind him, and Itachi wasn't able to dodge his kaiten completely. Itachi landed on his feet away from his two opponents. Itachi didn't even seem to mind his wounds as he activated his mangekyou.

_"Those two actually pushed me to my limits." _Itachi thought angrily._"All because of that little-" _but Itachi couldn't complete his thoughts as Neji and Sasuke launched for another assault.

XXXXXXX

"Wha-Sai?" Naruto said as he opened his eyes weakly. "What the hell happened?" He asked as he slowly sat up. "I feel like I got hit by one of Baa-chan's punches."

"You don't remember anything?" Sai asked as he got some bandages from Sakura's medical pack.

"Well I-What the hell?! Sakura-chan, what, what, what happened?!" Naruto panicked.

"I'm ok baka." Sakura said, to busy healing herself to his Naruto over the head. Luckily Sai was there to do it.

"Hey?!" Naruto complained. He then looked around to find that it was already night time. As he looked behind him, he saw Neji, Sasuke and Itachi fighting. Sasuke and Neji seemed to have the upper hand. He then noticed Tenten's unconscious body next to Sakura.

"What happened to Tenten?" Naruto asked.

"Mangekyou…" Both Sai and Sakura said sadly.

"I managed to heal her, and she woke up a while ago, but she was too exhausted and lost consciousness again. She'll be alright though." Sakura explained as Sai helped bandage her stomach.

"Are you sure you're ok?" Naruto asked as he sat next to his teammates.

"I'll live. I've been through worse though." Sakura said with a smile.

"I should go help teme and Neji." Naruto said trying to stand up.

"Hold it! You still need to rest. You want to get yourself killed?" Sakura said.

"Listen to the hag. I don't want to bring two unconscious people on my back." Sai said.

"I promised him. I have to help." Naruto said as he fell back down on the floor.

"Fine, let me heal you and then we can all go." Sakura said. "I said I would help to didn't I?"

"But you're hurt. You can't-" Naruto complained.

"Friends help each other." Sai said simply. "I don't even have to read about it to understand." Naruto just smiled, as Sakura started to heal him.

XXXXXXXXX

Neji and Sasuke finally seemed to have an advantage over Itachi, even with his mangekyou. Neji, having trained with Sakura and her team, was used to fighting with the Mangekyou. Sasuke had the sharingan his whole life. The mangekyou was powerful, but having to fight two skilled shinobi who trained with it for years on end was a big set back.

"Jyuuken!" Neji said as he hit another pair of chakra pathways.

Sasuke took the opportunity to summon some snakes which grabbed hold of Itachi's legs. Sasuke sliced Itachi in half, only to find that he used a replacement jutsu. Itachi then landed a successful combo of kicks on Sasuke as his brother flew back. Neji came in the second after only to get knocked back as well.

Both Neji and Sasuke were side by side panting heavily.

"This son of a bitch is really powerful. I can understand how you went looking to get stronger." Neji said as he wiped some blood with the back of his hand.

"Hn." Sasuke said as he stood up.

"Uzumaki Naruto is here to save the day!" Naruto called out as he landed right between Neji and Sasuke. The two prodigies sweatdropped as Sai and Sakura came next to them as well.

"Sakura. What are you doing?" Sasuke asked.

"You're not fully healed, go and rest." Neji said.

"I'm ok. I want to help." Sakura said stubbornly.

"You're going to get yourself killed." Sasuke said. Sakura just frowned as she looked at her teammate.

"Hey teme, we made a promise to help your ass, and we always keep our word." Naruto said.

"Dobe, this is-"

"What did you call me?!" Naruto said shaking his fist at Sasuke childishly.

"They can't be serious." Sai said as Neji, Sakura and himself watched the two bicker at each other.

"Baka, can't you see that you guys will only get hurt if you try to help us?!"

"What are you talking about? With all of us, we can take that freaky eyed bastard!"

"Unlike me and Hyuuga, you guys would get killed by his mangekyou in a second!"

"How long were you gone?! Kakashi has the mangekyou too, what the hell do you think we did all this time. We all trained with him of course!"

_"There's a S-class criminal Uchiha prodigy right in front of us, and all they can do is argue with each other." _Sakura thought with a sigh. The others seem to think the same. _"It's good to have the team back together." _

"This is ridiculous." Neji muttered. "Leave it to Naruto to cause such a ruckus." Everyone just nodded in agreement.

"FINE!" Both Naruto and Sasuke said at once. Both Naruto and Sasuke seemed to be back to their senses as they both watched Itachi.

"Well, here we go." Sai said as he summoned three in tigers. Neji jot into his normal fighting stance, and Naruto made hundreds of clones surrounding everyone.

"Even after all you did, you have enough chakra and stamina to create all these bunshins. Sometimes I'll never understand you." Neji said with a smirk. Sakura did a couple of hand seals making both her hands emit blue chakra.

"Let's go!" Naruto called out as they all charged at the elder Uchiha.

Both Naruto and Sai went first. Clone after clone, Naruto's bunshins attacked Itachi left and right. Sai's tigers did the same, but they always came back after getting hit. Next, it was Sakura's turn to fight. Punching the ground, Itachi was forced to jumped into the air to avoid the demolition below him. Sakura followed him and the two engaged in a match of taijutsu in midair.

_"Kakashi told me that the mangekyou's main weakness is that it takes up most of his stamina, if we just keep attacking, he'll eventually lose from exhaustion." _Sakura thought as she continued to attack relentlessly. Her teacher's advice was correct as she saw Itachi show signs of fatigue. She finally got a direct hit in before letting Neji take over. Sakura fell to her knees, panting as she watched Neji fight Itachi. She held her stomach, realizing that she reopened her wound. Her blood seeped from the bandages and onto her hand. Eating a blood clotting pill, she hoped that it would stop bleed so she wouldn't have to use the rest of her chakra to heal herself. Luck wasn't on her side as she started coughing. Blood filling the bottom portion of her mouth each time.

"Sakura. Heal yourself." Neji said as he sat next to her. Sakura looked to the side to see Naruto, Sasuke, and Sai fighting Itachi.

"_It's only a matter of time before Itachi loses." _Neji thought.

"I can't, what if one of you really needs my help and-"

"Sakura." Neji said in a stern, but caring voice, "You have to take care of yourself first. You can't do anything to help us if you're dead."

"It's not that-" but Sakura stopped when Neji grabbed her wrist and held it toward her bleeding stomach. He placed his hand over hers to keep her from pulling her hand away. Sakura blushed lightly, from the contact.

"Hurry and heal yourself Haruno." Neji said and waited till she started to heal her wound before taking his hand back. Soon after, the two heard Sai's name being called out by Naruto. Sakura gasped as her teammate slumped to the floor in front of Itachi.

"Damnit, you didn't have to protect me!" Naruto yelled as he took his teammate's body away from the fight. Sakura and Neji both rushed to where Naruto was.

Sakura immediately went to work as Neji and Naruto went to help Sasuke.

"You baka." Sakura said, as she frantically healed Sai. She let out a sigh of relief as she found he was still alive. _"He must not have enough chakra to kill him." _"Thank kami." She muttered. After another couple of minutes of fighting, everyone was absolutely exhausted.

"Your brother just doesn't know how to give up!" Naruto panted as he tried to push himself off the floor. His left leg was bleeding badly, and Sasuke had gashes all over his back. Neji couldn't stand without falling back onto the floor exhausted. Sakura couldn't stand at all.

"I've noticed." Sasuke muttered.

"We have to keep it up. He's just as tired as us, probably even more." Sakura said, coughing again.

"Sakura you should stop." Neji said.

"Neji. I need to-"

"There's a point when you can do too much. Everyone has a limit, don't kill yourself to exceed it." Neji said with a worried expression. "I don't want anything happening to you." Neji said as he held her shoulders.

Sasuke just stayed quiet as he watched the two, with a sad expression. Naruto just smiled happily, but at the same time, was worried about his best friend.

"Let's go Naruto." Sasuke said standing up. Neji was about to stand up as well, but Sasuke stopped him.

"Take care of Sakura, Hyuuga." Sasuke said in a commanding tone. Neji was about to protest, but Itachi drew their attention away as they started to fight again.

"Neji, you have to-"

"I know, but I can tell they're going to use their last resorts in this fight. I'll be here and wait in case something happens." Neji said, cutting the worried kunochi off.

"Please be careful you guys." Sakura saidas she watched them fight their last ounces of strength.

"Naruto, you finally got that new rasengan of yours finished." Sasuke asked.

"Yeah. I was planning on first using it on you though." Naruto said grinning.

"Hn." Sasuke said with a smirk.

"But I only have enough to do it once."

"Same with my chidori."

"All or nothing?"

"I suppose." Sasuke said letting out a sigh.

"Let's do it!" Naruto exclaimed as he created a clone.

With the help of his clone, Naruto created his new rasengan. A huge bright blue swirling mass of chakra the shape of a large shirikin (spelling…sry). The charkra illuminated the night, out doing the moon's glow. Sasuke doing the same with his original chidori as a huge ball of electricity formed in his hand.

_"This is it Itachi. After all this time, this is going to end. All the pain I suffered. The deaths I witnessed. It's all going to end."_Sasuke thought, but then another thought occurred to him. There is always going to be the possibility of obtaining the mangekyou, as long as the sharingan exists. This thought scared him. There will always be something that would force an Uchiha to want power. Who's to say that this wouldn't be the last time the entire Uchiha clan would be wiped out from existence by one of its own members._"No…Never again." _Sasuke thought.

"Okay Sasuke. Let's get this over with."

"Got it."

The two rushed toward Itachi with all they had. All of them were at their limits and anything that happened then would probably be their last.

Naruto and Sasuke's attacks collided with Itachi and everything seemed to go as planned. It was until a black hole appeared in front of Itachi the second before it reached him did Naruto and Sasuke lose all of their confidence. It was too late to pull back as another black hole appeared behind the two.

_"He…he!"_Naruto thought in panic.

_"Created two different dimensions!" _Sasuke thought.

_"And their going to be killed by their own attacks!" _Sakura and Neji thought in panic.

Neji rushed in only to have Naruto fly into him. "SASUKE!" Naruto yelled. The two were knocked to the floor as a huge explosion engulfed the Uchiha brothers.

"SASUKE-KUN!" Sakura screamed.

At the last minute, Sasuke hit Naruto to the side saving his life. In the same instant his own chidori hit him directly, as Naruto's attack hit Itachi in the heart where Naruto used to be seconds ago. Itachi flew back, a gaping whole where his heart used to be. The great and feared Uchiha Itachi was finally dead.

"Sasuke-kun!" Sakura cried as she rushed to his bloody body.

"Sasuke!" Naruto and Neji called out as they reached the two. Saskura was frantically trying to heal him, but Sasuke continued to stop her attempt by pushing her hands away.

"What's your problem teme?!" Naruto said.

"Why won't you let me heal you?!" Sakura said tears falling from her eyes.

"Don't…Don't, please." Sasuke barely managed to mutter.

"Uchiha, I don't think you understand what you're even saying." Neji said, utterly confused with Sasuke's actions. Sasuke tried to speak again and everyone remained quiet to hear him. Soft gusts of wind blew by as cherry blossom petals surrounded the young shinobi.

"What do you mean?" Sakura said through tears.

"I want the Uchiha clan to die with me Sakura." Sasuke said.

"You're an idiot you know that! Sakura heal him!" Naruto said in panic.

Sakura once again tried to heal Sasuke but he just grabbed her wrist.

"Sasuke-kun please…Please. I don't want you to die. Please don't leave me again." Sakura begged through sobs. The moon's light glowed upon the shinobi, only reminding two ofhem of the very night they were separated.

Sasuke continued to hold onto her wrist with his other hand he reached out and gently stroked her cheek.

"I'm sorry I couldn't make you happy." Sasuke said, his voice growing quieter.

"What…What are you talking about?" She said, her tears falling onto his shirt.

"I'm sorry Sakura. Naruto. For everything I put you two through." Sasuke said, tears falling from his eyes. It was the first time Naruto and Sakura ever saw him cry. "I'm so sorry."

"Teme, we forgive you already, now let Sakura heal you for kami's sake!" Naruto said, tears beginning to come from his eyes.

"This is what I want." Sasuke said. He gaze turned to Naruto. "You were the closest thing I ever had to a brother, you dobe." Naruto only grinned, yet the tears kept coming. "But nonetheless I can still kick your ass."

"Che. You wish."

"You better be hokage, or I won't forgive you for annoying the hell out of me for all these years. Also, thank Kakashi for me and tell him to stop reading those damn porn books. It's unhealthy. I'm glad he didn't teach me to read those things, like Jiraiya taught you dobe." Sasuke said smirking. He started coughing a pained look crossed his face for a couple of second. This made Sakura only cry harder.

"Hyuuga. You better make Sakura happy from now on got that." Sasuke said.

"Got it." Neji said. Sasuke just smiled knowing that the Hyuuga would keep his word. Sasuke then turned back to Sakura.

"Sakura, I don't ever want you to change. I don't even know why I left all those years ago. Nothing seems to worth as much as you." Sasuke said before going into a coughing fit. Through Sasuke's blurring vision all he could see was a beautiful face he foolishly took granted for. Cherry blossoms mixed with the moon's light made her look like an angel to him. He was glad that she would be the last thing he would see before he died.

"Sakura." Sakura's tears fell faster as she held onto his hand that he used to stroke her cheek. "…Thank you." was all Sasuke said before closing his eyes.

"Sasuke-kun…" Sakura whispered before crying onto his dead body. "SASUKE-KUN!" Sakura cried out.

"Damnit teme!" Naruto said slamming the floor with his fist, tears falling with no end in sight. Memories of all of team seven's adventures played into both their minds.

Neji just closed his eyes in prayer. _"Good-bye, Uchiha, Sasuke."_

…………

**_"Now to chose the members of the thee man squadrons." Iruka said as he began to read the names off his list. "Uzumaki Naruto, Haruno Sakura." Naruto started cheering as Sakura just looked to the floor disappointed. "And Uchiha Sasuke." Both Naruto and Sakura switched expressions._**

**_……….._**

**_"What do you think you're doing?!" Kakashi yelled through a cloud of smoke._**

_**"But, but, but sensei, you said it yourself, that's why-" Naruto beagan.**_

_**"We're a three man team, right?" Sasuke said.**_

_**"That's right, we're three in one!" Sakura finished. Kakashi just held a smile on his face.**_

………

_**"So Sakura did come after all." Kakashi said as his team entered the hallway. **_

_**"What do you mean sensei?" Sakura asked. Naruto and Sasuke wondering the same thing.**_

_**"If you didn't come, neither Naruto or Sasuke would be allowed to enter the chuunin exam. But I'm glad you did come. Sakura, Naruto, Sasuke, I'm proud to call you my team. You three may go in." Kakashi said proudly as his students entered through the door. Not soon after, he heard Naruto yelled out to the other contestants his name, and how he would beat them all.**_

_**……….**_

_**"Naruto, stop eating ramen, it's not healthy." Kakshi said as he entered the small apartment.**_

_**"Geez, Naruto. Here, I'll help you clean up." Sakura said as she picked up some empty ramen cups.**_

_**"Dobe, how could you live like this?" Sasuke said as he stood in the doorway.**_

_**"Teme!" Naruto yelled before tripping over a pile of empty cups.**_

_**……….**_

_**"Damnit Sasuke, she's just worried about-"**_

_**"Naruto, I want to fight you too." Sasuke said, as both Naruto and Sakura stared at him in shock. At the third part of the exam, Sasuke finally arrived to the stadium and the crowd erupted with his presence. **_

_**"Sasuke, I want to fight you to." Naruto said over the crowd. Sasuke just smirked.**_

_**………..**_

_**"Stop!" Sakura cried out as she hugged Sasuke from the back.**_

_**Sasuke glared at her through his sharingan, and she just atred back pleadingly through her tears.**_

_**"Please stop….Please." Sakura whispered, as Sasuke's cursed seal retreated back to the three commas on his neck.**_

_**…………**_

Kakashi appeared along with the rest and they slowly approached the grieving nins after finding out what happened. The rest of the group tended to Sai and Tenten, as Kakashi patted Sakura and Naruto's backs, his eyes on his dead pupil. Hinata came over and hugged Naruto in a comforting hug, which Naruto was grateful for. Neji did the same for Sakura as she cried onto his chest.

"Ka-Kakashi…" Naruto said through sobs. Kakashi just stayed silent as he looked at Naruto. "He said that he wanted to tell you that he said thank you, and that you should stop reading those damn porn books." Naruto said with a smile.

"He was glad you didn't, teach him to read those things." Sakura said turning to Kakashi. "It's unhealthy." She said smiling.

"Damn Uchiha. Always making things so troublesome." Shikamaru said putting out his cigarette. "We're all going to miss you though."

**7 Years later…**

"Naruto you finally did it!" Sakura said as she hugged her long time friend.

"Ah, Sakura-chan. You knew I would be hokage one of these days!" Naruto said as they continued to walk from the hokage's office.

"Hn, a baka like you for our hokage?" Neji said as they continued to walk down the streets.

"Hey! I can kick the almightly Hyuuga ass, thatshould be proof enough!"

"Nonetheless, you still have a small-" Sai began, but was stopped by Sakura's hand over his mouth.

"What did you say?!" Naruto yelled, shaking his fist at the smiling nin.

"Naruto-kun, please. People are looking again." Hinata pleaded, hoping past events wouldn't occur again.

"Troublesome hokage." Shikamaru said as he joined the group with his and Hinata's team.

"Ha, ha! You finally made it huh?" Kiba said, Akamaru barking happily.

"This I can say may not be a good thing." Sai said, but everyone knew he was joking…Except for maybe Naruto.

"Hey! You too!" Naruto said teary eyed.

Soon Neji's team joined the group as well and they all stopped by a nearby bench to discuss Naruto's celebration party.

Sakura sat down on the bench next to Neji as the others just leaned against the rails.

"We should really tell Hiashi-san about our engagement, don't you think?" Sakura asked her fiancé.

"I think so too." Neji said smiling at her. The wind started blowing and it was the middle of winter. Sakura started to shiver as Neji hugged her to keep warm. "I don't know when Naruto and Hinata-san would tell Hiashi-sama though."

"I can imagine it." Sakura said through laugh. Both Hinata and her father would turn red and faint on the spot!"

"Hey I heard that!" Naruto yelled.

"But it's true." Neji, Sai, Tenten, Shikamaru, and Shino said at the same time.

"Wha-what?!" Naruto said before all of them got into an argument. Sai, Lee, Ino, Choji, Kiba, and the rest just did their best to try and stop the fight, which Sakura knew wouldn't be for a long time. As she sat on the bench as the only neutral party. The wind started to pick up again and she started to shiver again.

"Hey." Someone whispered in her ear. Sakura quickly turned to where she heard the voice but found no one there.

"Neji-kun, did you say something?" She asked.

"Nothing except that Uzumaki would have a better chance at-"

"Shut up! I'll show you!" Naruto said as he launched himself on Neji.

"Naruto!" Everyone yelled.

"Naruto-kun, please." Hinata pleaded. Sakura just laughed lightly at the scene. She stopped when she felt something light touch her cheek. She turned to the other direction to find it was a cherry blossom petal.

"Cherry blossoms? In the middle of winter?" Sakura thought. She looked around to find that all the sakura trees were bare for the season. 'Hey' Sakura heard again. She then noticed that it was the same bench, Sakura first talked to Sasuke. Also the same bench Sasuke laid her on when he left the village. She gently picked up the petal from her lap and placed it on her palm. "Sasuke-kun…" The petal then flew away into the abyss of the sky with another gust of wind, though this time it seemed warmer. "Hey yourself, Sasuke-kun…"

THE END…

**AN: I know I update every couple of years…. Lol but I'm finally done aren't I? -Sweatdrops- Ummm well thank you for all the reviews. It was all really helpful, honestly.**

**-Ja ne!!!!!!!! Runs from pissed off Sasuke fans….**


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